


Create Your Own Future

by HailSam



Series: Red's 'Fun' Times [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swapfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Crying, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Experimentation, Gaster's just doing it to torture, Gen, High School, I left it vague, Intense Therapy, Kinda, M/M, Medical Torture, Multi, Nightmares, One Big Happy Family, Polyamory, Rape Recovery, Red has a bad time, Skeleton Pregnancy (Undertale), Teleportation, Therapy, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, W. D. Gaster Being An Asshole, Wow, all day every day, all the poly, but also for science, but then, graphic birth, hopefully, in general, okay, seven...some??, skelepreg, that's a tag, wrong medical examinations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2020-11-26 02:20:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 66
Words: 121,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20922554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HailSam/pseuds/HailSam
Summary: Red appears in a strange world unlike his. Everyone says hi to him, everyone worries about him...and he can see the sun!! What was going on?It didn't matter. What mattered to him was keeping far away from Gaster...and keeping his baby safe.(A story that just wouldn't leave me alone, so I'm back, again, here, right now. Will include very much explicit sex scenes at later dates, and I'll put warnings up)





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me:  
https://twitter.com/sassyhaillive  
https://www.pillowfort.social/HailSam  
https://sassyhail.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you need on Pillowfort or even an invite here, let me know I'll help you out :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all began

"What am I?"

The doctor looked up over his glasses at Sans. He was kneeling in front of him on one knee, holding Sans' arm as he drew out...blood? Magic? Sans wasn't sure. The doctor looked back down, and Sans figured he would ignore him, once more.

"A failed experiment."

Just as he thought. Sans slumped a bit, but didn't respond as the doctor, the 'Great Doctor Gaster', stood up, heading to a tray to the side as he filled few vials with what was in the tubing. Sans looked back up, swinging one leg against the gurney as he waited. 

The whole thing began with his birth...his making, actually. The Great Doctor Wing Dings Gaster was the Royal Scientist of the Underground. He was tasked with finding a way, any way, that they could escape their prison without the need of humans, considering it took decades nearly to get the sparse few souls they did have.

Decades meant nothing to Boss Monsters such as their King, but the usual rabble started making noise about having to 'wait' for the next human. They shouted and raved and the King soothed their worries that the Royal Scientist had a plan to break the barrier and they would take their revenge.

So, Sans was made, but he was made with more than one plan in mind.

Gaster needed a mindless drone of a monster with outrageous stats, perhaps an army of them. Instead, he got weak, baby Sans, who knew nothing of the future he was bound for. For the first few years of Sans' life, Gaster pushed him hard, trying to raise the weak stats up to the quadruple digits he was aiming for.

It never happened.

So, when Sans turned about 11, Gaster snuck him out of the lab. He still had several other experiments, but he felt his first plan would be the one to free them. Gaster took Sans to his home, having made up a room with merely a mattress on the ground, and a chain. 

He chained Sans' ankle to it. The length let him roam the house, but it would strain against his leg when he reached the front door. He didn't try so much. He didn't know of the outdoors, he barely knew of life itself. All he knew was Gaster, and that he was a failure, but Gaster had a back up to his plan.

While alone, Sans would walk around over and over. Sometimes he got hungry, and would nibble on something he found in the fridge. He didn't know the names of them, although Gaster sometimes grew angry with his 'stupidity' and would shove said item at him and yell the word for it. He knew 'apple' and 'tea' but he didn't much like the 'meat' Gaster made.

Sans never approached Gaster's bedroom. He felt a deep dark fear of it, so he avoided it, like it never existed. He would walk, the jingle of the chain, the drag of it, echoing in the house while Gaster was out to his lab, having locked the door and set a magic alarm on it.

Sometimes he curled up on the couch. Sometimes he'd drag himself into the bathroom and peer at himself in the reflection. His skull was round and his eyelights were bright white, but sometimes when he was scared, or when Gaster injected something weird in him, they would turn a giant flaming red. It hurt, a lot. He had a gold tooth that overlapped his jaw a bit. In time, he would grow into it, but Gaster didn't care about his voice. He cared what he could do for Gaster, and monsterkind. Sans wore a hospital gown in the lab, but here, he had found a dark red sweater, but no pants. Gaster didn't seem to care about that, either.

Sans had dug up a calendar from a small closet, and each day that passed, he would mark it down. He didn't know when he was made, but he assumed, and would circle that date several times. He knew how old he was by Gaster's mutterings on his clipboard as he took magic or blood or what have you, and injected him with mysterious things.

First, he was 12. Gaster watched him intently for a while, for what Sans wasn't sure, but in time he gave up watching him.

He started to ask questions, more and more. Gaster seemed annoyed. Who was he? Were they related? Why did Gaster take so much of his magic each time? What was he? What was outside? Why was it cold when Gaster opened the door to leave? It made Sans shiver each time, and it took a while for it to abate.

Gaster gave very bitter one word answers. He was Sans, although on paperwork he was called 'R4D'. Red. No, they were not, and he better never say that again. He did not answer why he took Sans' magic. 

He was a failed experiment.

Outside was none of his business. It was cold because it was cold.

Sans gave up asking, instead picking at his food whenever they had lunch together, if they ever did.

Then he was 13. He grew an inch, a little bit. He still felt like a kid, small and weird, but he could feel aches in his joints as they expanded. His magic crackled inside him, going through its own growing pains.

Gaster watched him again, as if expecting him to whine and cry about the pain like he did when Gaster broke his arm to see how it healed at age 4. But Sans sucked it up, and he tucked himself into the red sweater deeply, shivering through the deep pain.

Then 14. Sans felt gangly, perhaps a tad taller. He could now see over the countertop in the kitchen, but Gaster gave him a disgusted look when he went for his 'check up' on the gurney inside the basement. 

“You haven't grown. It's due to the disappointing stats, I'm assuming.”

Sans shrugged in response. Gaster never expected one anyway.

“It shouldn't hurt the plan, I suppose, but it will slow it down.” One of Gaster's magical hands scratched down notes as Gaster looked Sans over. Sans shrugged again. Gaster rolled his one good eyelight. “Not like you understand. Perhaps next year then.”

Sans wasn't sure what would happen next year, but he wasn't sure he would enjoy it.

He marked down when he turned 15. For some reason, he felt like this was A BIG DEAL. So when Gaster left for the day, he went to his room, and for a moment, he imagined having...other people around him.

Skeletons, like him, of course. He had only seen himself and Gaster. He pretended that they were happy to see him, that they cheered that he was 15, that he had survived this far. They comforted him in his mind when he complained about how the chain chafed his ankle, and they assured him they would always be his friends, no matter what.

Reality hurt when he woke up from napping on his mattress. For the first time in years tears welled up, and he ducked into his sweater, trying not to cry. Something dark slid over his mind, how alone he truly was, how it didn't matter what Gaster did, he wouldn't matter in the long run. Sans didn't exist to the entire world, and it hurt deeply this time.

When Gaster arrived home for lunch-it took years to teach Sans how to cook correctly but he finally managed it without burning the pots-he was amused at seeing Sans looking 'down' at the table, barely mumbling a greeting when he stepped in after taking off his labcoat.

“My my. This is new. What, did you read one of the books with sad endings again? Or did you do something bad you don't want me to know about?” Sans never could keep a secret, it would wash on his face, all wide eyed and shaking when Gaster arrived. 

Gaster sat down, taking the plate with potatoes and a nice helping of lasagna along with his customary cup of coffee that he instantly started to drain. Sans shrugged. “No.”

“Hm. Not that I care, but you're quite annoying when you're like this. Either tell me or hide your mistakes better.”

Sans seemed to shrink into himself more and he nodded. “Yessir.”

Gaster hummed, taking a slice of the potato to eat. “It won't matter later on, I suppose.”

Sans would have looked up at him curiously if he wasn't so upset about being lonely. He shrugged again, mashing the potatoes with his spoon slowly before taking his time to eat.

He really should have asked. Perhaps what happened later would not have been such a surprise.

About half a year later, in the month that the calendar proclaimed was the middle of Spring, and something about showers bringing flowers, Sans found himself sick. It was surprisingly after breakfast, when Gaster seemed in a good mood and made the delicious 'pancakes' that Sans adored. He ripped into three of them, Gaster nudging them his way.

He should have been suspicious. But he wasn't that smart, he reminded himself.

He found himself woozy and tired, his fork clanging to the floor as he tilted his head forward. “S-Sorry...think..'m sick.”

Gaster's deep voice chuckled as he blinked against the clouds blocking his vision. “No, no you're not.”

With that, Sans blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title will make sense at the end, trust me  
Maybe  
I don't know  
Hey I'm back, what up buttercup?  
Did you miss me?
> 
> Lately I've been doing a lot of writing. A lot of it. And I've missed making fanfics for Undertale, you know? I may update my other two stories, once I figure out where I was going.
> 
> But uh, this one's been bugging me for two days. So. Here. From my mind to your faces.
> 
> Remember how I said the next isn't too explicit? I'm a liar ;)
> 
> So uh, If you're muchly into some dark Gaster/Sans stuff, next chapter's for yooouuu. If not, I'll try and get chapter three up and you can skip it and get the insinuation.


	2. The Torture Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster begins his project, along with several experimentations.
> 
> Sans is not in for a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so. This isn't like, super bad, but it's SUPER explicit. And it will continue on to half of the next chapter. I'll cut it off between what's good to read and what's explicit with stars. Cool? Cool.

When Sans stirred to life, he found himself in a precarious situation. His wrists and ankles were chained to Gaster's bed, a weird rubber ball shoved between his sharp teeth. The only reason he knew this was Gaster's room is the fact that Gaster was, well, there.

Gaster wasn't one to take Sans anywhere, so...

Sans blinked sluggishly, trying to figure out why he shouldn't focus so much on Gaster taking him places and more on the fact that he was chained down to the bed, his regular chain still tied below the additional one.

Gaster was to the side, fiddling with a vial and a syringe, and he made a muffled, confused noise. Gaster turned, holding the syringe up with purple liquid inside. “Good, you're awake. It would have been easier if you had slept on, but I can't say I don't like to have my own fun sometimes.”

Sans was still so very confused. He made another noise, rattling the cuffs on his wrists. Why was he tied down? What was in the syringe? What fun?

Gaster approached, holding his hand out above Sans' chest, forcing his soul out. It never felt good, painful even, but Sans was used to Gaster just taking whatever he wanted from him. With a swift jab, the syringe went in, leaving Sans to make a squeal noise. It wasn't so painful, just...an awkward feeling. Until Gaster emptied the syringe into said soul.

The purple dyed the pulsing red upside down heart from the middle out. Sans squirmed, gasping painfully as all of a sudden, his bones were burning, something pressing against his thighs and his pelvis and his chest feeling heavy as he panted.

Gaster let go of the soul, allowing it to disappear as Sans arched his head back, tossing it back and forth in confusion.

“Good, the effects are taking place. This should make things easier, for me at least.” He stepped back, putting away the syringe before stepping to the end of the bed, pulling the belt from his pants. Sans realized with a jerk that his sweater was missing, he was nude. He hadn't been naked in front of Gaster since the lab...right? He couldn't recall with all the sensations going on.

His toes curled into the blankets as he tried to push his heels in, gasping and coughing as he tried to free himself. Gaster's hand came down, clutching Sans' knee harshly. “Stay still, you fool. Not that squirming will get you anywhere.”

He yanked Sans down a bit, the cuffs straining against Sans' wrists with a creak and Sans screamed behind the ball. Gaster kneeled onto the bed with one leg, his pants seeming to slide down without Sans noticing. Sans panted, the dizzy feeling abating just a bit as he tried to raise his head up. 

There was something weird over his body, squishy and bright red. He knew what the top was, he had summoned his body only once or twice. According to the books Gaster had left lying around, he had 'breasts', he didn't know what to do with them so he didn't summon his body as much.

Now it was snapped into view, along with his lower half. Gaster had something as well, something he held with his hand, a dark purple long...thing. Sans jumped when Gaster pressed it against his entrance, trying to push away from it in fear that Gaster was finally going to kill him this way, somehow, and screaming again as it pushed in, spreading him over the purple thing with almost ease. Gaster grunted, grabbing Sans' hips and snapping them together, Sans' head shaking back and forth with the sudden stretch.

“Oh quit being a baby, it doesn't hurt.” He didn't seem as serious though, he seemed to laugh at Sans' pain as he started thrusting into Sans.

Sans whined louder, he could feel something squishing between them. It felt gross, he felt aches in his hips like when he was growing, and he really hated it when Gaster leaned over him, releasing one side of his hip to grip a breast tightly in his hand.

Sans' legs kicked out without purchase, the blankets were slick and he couldn't get any traction. Gaster chuckled, squeezing the breast in his hand tightly. “Now I'm glad you woke up, I would have missed all these great reactions. Do you even know what's going on? Hm?”

Sans' eyes teared up, the tears trailing over his cheeks as he shook his head hard. He just wanted the sharp thrusting to stop and for Gaster to stop touching him so harshly. It hurt, much more than nearly anything else he had done.

Gaster grinned slowly, pressing in deep and rolling his hips slowly. “Poor little stupid skeleton. Don't worry, once everything goes to plan, you won't have to worry about anything. I don't even think you'd have a thought about it. You never do anyway.”

Sans sniffled and cried, hiding his face into his elbow to not look at Gaster as the bed creaked beneath him. With a few more thrusts, Gaster seemed to pant sharply, then he pressed in deep, stretching Sans harder and Sans gasped, hard to get his breath as something filled him up and Gaster drew himself free with a sigh.

“Perfect. But not triumphant. Perhaps, with time...” he muttered, and Sans ignored him, feeling ripped open and achy, his breast a bundle of handshaped bruises by now. He squeaked when Gaster pulled his hips up, pushing a pillow beneath him, then cried as he seemed to put something inside him, preventing the gross stuff from coming out.

Gaster redressed, one magic hand lifting up the clipboard to make notes. “Project will have to continue, unable to feasibly figure out whether or not it would be instant. Leaving subject to absorb everything in, and if no results by tomorrow, will retry the process.”

He smirked as he took a few steps around the bed, placing his hand on Sans' trembling head. “Let us hope, for your sake, it takes the first time. I'll be around with food, and if you deny it, I'll merely force you, understand?”

Sans' tear stained face was dragged up away from his arm to make him look at Gaster, and Sans quickly nodded. He hoped he didn't have to go through that again. It hurt, so much. Gaster merely smile, stroking his fingers down Sans' face and Sans winced, hiding his face again. Gaster chuckled, and off he went, leaving Sans chained to the bed and a tray of his items on the side.

Had Sans been in any frame of mind, he would have been intrigued by the bed. The sheets were silky, and the pillow was soft, and honestly he could have fallen asleep forever in here. But as it were, he was more focused on the pulsing ache between his legs, the gross feeling deep in his belly, and the pain on his breast. His cries slowed, and his trembling stilled after a time. He rubbed his face into the sheets, trying to clean it off. His jaw started to hurt with how the ball was situated, and he wasn't sure why Gaster put it in. It just hurt. Maybe he liked it...? Sans felt sick.

The door opening made him jump, gasping at the sharp feeling between his legs as Gaster pushed a tray in, shutting the door behind him. He approached the bed, sitting on the edge. He had a bowl of oatmeal and toast for Sans. Gaster reached behind Sans' head, looking at him. “I know you should know by now, but scream, and I'll merely put it back on and you shall have no dinner. Understand?”

Sans made an agreeing noise, quickly nodding. His jaw hurt too bad to argue. Gaster undid the buckle and pulled the ball free, making Sans' jaw snap a bit as he wiggled it, sniffling. “W-Why...”

“Don't ask stupid questions,” Gaster scolded, bringing the bowl over. “Now, open up.”

Sans nearly didn't, but he remembered the last time Gaster had forced him to eat. He'd used one of his magic hands to hold his mouth open, so wide he felt like it would never shut back, and he shivered. Not again. He slowly opened his mouth, sniffling a bit, his tongue peeking out now that his magic was activated.

Gaster started to feed him, albeit he kept looking at Sans' mouth with more intrigue. “Hm. It's not part of the project, but, it's my own personal one,” he mumbled to himself. Sans sniffled, not attempting to ask this time as he chewed on the toast.

He shifted, wincing a bit. “C-Can you take the thing out...?”

Gaster shook his head. “No, without it, you'll waste precious...magic. For this project, you'll need it all. No more questions.” He had Sans drink a glass of water, before picking up a different, odd looking thing. Sans blinked, then shivered when Gaster demanded he open his mouth again.

“B-But I'll be quiet, I promise, please!”

Gaster shook his head. “Have you learned nothing these past years? When I tell you to do something, do it.”

Sans braced his jaw tightly. He did not want to do it. Gaster raised a brow bone. “Alright then.”

Suddenly two magic hands gripped Sans' jaw, one yanking his jaw fiercely, the other bracing against the top of his teeth, keeping his mouth open as Gaster slid the weird steel ring into his mouth despite Sans' screaming and kicking, trying to push it out before Gaster buckled it a bit too tightly.

“Perfect. Now, you should be ...punished for disobeying, don't you think?”

Sans' head fell back once the magic hands let his face go, and he whined, his tongue was nearly outside the ring with how far it opened his jaw. Punished? Was it no food again? Sleep on the floor?

He wished it was that simple.

Gaster instead straddled his chest and Sans yipped, squirming at the sudden press on his chest. Gaster hummed. “That shall be next time. For now,” he unzipped his pants, the purple thing slipping out once more. Sans' breathing picked up, he still hurt and the thing was still in him, he wasn't sure how Gaster was going to do that again. But instead, Gaster leaned forward, bracing one hand on the wall as he pushed the purple thing close to Sans' mouth. Sans shouted, shaking his head and trying to pull back, but a magic hand at the back of his head shoved him forward, making him choke on the purple thing.

Gaster moaned. “Mmm, such a good mouth when it's not jabbering idiotic ramblings. I definitely should have done this earlier,” he mumbled, his hips slowly thrusting into the ring and into Sans' mouth. Sans choked with each thrust, his body shuddering. He couldn't really lose his breath, being a skeleton meant he couldn't be choked to death, but each harsh thrust cut off the small breaths he took all the same.

His tongue wiggled fiercely, trying to push the purple thing out as he kicked his feet again, but it just seemed to egg Gaster on as the magic hand leaned back then pushed forward again, making Sans' head bob with Gaster's thrusts. “Such a good mouth, oh yes. I wonder what you'll do when I'm done, will you spit it out? Cry more?”

Sans whined louder, coughing around the thick purple thing as it pressed in deep and Gaster groaned. The gross stuff burst into his mouth and he arched up, kicking again fiercely. He couldn't die by choking, but the loss of breath was a scary one. The stuff slid down his throat as the magic hand held him tight against Gaster's hips, muffling his noises. Some of it slid down his jaw as he coughed, and slowly the hand dragged him off of Gaster as Gaster sighed, pulling it away and tucking it back into his pants.

Gaster hummed, tapping Sans' cheek fiercely as Sans seemed to shake harder in fear. “You suck a good cock, Sans. Your first time too. I bet you loved it.” He grinned maliciously as Sans seemed to pant sharply. His face was bright red, the red tongue that peeked out was covered in the purple magic, which was smeared over his jaw.

Gaster chuckled, reaching down to slap a hand on one breast and making Sans quake once more. “Tomorrow, we'll continue. You better rest up.” With that he got off the bed, redressing himself to appear unflustered, pushing the two trays out the door with his magic hands.

Sans tried to cough it up, but it wouldn't get out of his mouth. He swallowed, tears burning the edges of his sockets as he cried again. Gaster didn't come back for the rest of the night, and Sans idly wondered where he had slept, unless this was one of the locked doors he never tested. Sans fell asleep with an ache between his legs, and pain all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaaah. Yeaaaah.  
Look.  
I have no reasonable explanation except this evolved from a simple 'Gaster does a thing' into. This. 
> 
> Maybe do a PWP in the future that expands on this bc I'm super gross and love torturing characters.


	3. Finally, He Says

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster gets what he wants. Sans doesn't. This is usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still super explicit! Still torture for Sans!  
Next chapter won't..be...as bad...I hope. I'll definitely warn if it is!

The next day came way too fast. Sans felt lethargic and tired, his mind barely running as the door opened, Gaster bringing in the syringe and purple stuff again. Sans stirred, trying to mumble at Gaster as he swept his hand over Sans' chest, bringing out his soul and injecting him without a word.

Sans squirmed, shutting his eyes tightly as Gaster whistled a tune, putting away the syringe and sweeping Sans' soul back into his body. He walked to the end of the bed again, tutting as he reached between Sans' legs, gripping the base of the thing inside him. “Nothing yet. Not to worry, we won't stop until we get results.” He jerked the thing out and Sans gave a slightly muffled scream, arching up. The thick magic seeped out a bit, but Gaster swept it up, jamming his fingers into Sans.

Sans shook so hard the chains clattered as Gaster pulled out his...cock? Again. “Oh hush. This is for the good of...well, me.” He shrugged, kneeling up onto the bed again as he thrust his fingers into Sans. Sans bounced his hips trying to squirm away from the fingers and the cock, but he wasn't successful, again. Gaster spread his fingers, bracing Sans' hips with two magic hands as he thrust his cock back into Sans, ignoring his cry. Gaster hummed, crooking one finger in beside his cock as he started thrusting slowly. “More will sufficiently help, then we can try other...experiments as we wait.”

Sans cried out as he was stretched wider with the finger, bucking up and trying to push it out as Gaster thrust in deep, rolling his hips. “Oh stop that, you should know by now it doesn't help to fight back.” His other hand came up, pressing over Sans' belly with a frown. “Hm. Hopefully not too much longer, although, this is quite fun.”

Sans hid his face again, gasping and crying with each thrust into his body. The elevation from the pillow made it so he was pressed against Gaster even more than last time, spearing him open with each thrust of his cock. Something squelched between them, making Sans shudder in disgust. Gaster made a noise, sliding his thumb up to press sharply against something on Sans that made him kick. “I wonder if it is possible for you to orgasm even with such pain. Another possible experiment.” Sans shivered as the thumb slipped away, but Gaster thrust in sharply, making his hips buck up.

Finally he pressed in, filling Sans again completely, nearly making the small flat of his belly bulge up a bit. He slid free, a magic hand slipping the thing back into Sans and Sans making a keening wail at the feeling of it again, shaking his head.

Gaster had a hand write something on the clipboard, and he nodded. “I'll be back with food again, then we'll proceed with more experimentation.” The hands wheeled out the tray once more, leaving Sans feeling torn open once more, shaking with pain and some unknown feeling as well as he tried to press his thighs together to alleviate the ache.

His head dropped back with a 'fwump' on the pillow as he wheezed. He felt sick now, and his teeth ached on the weird ring in his mouth.

Slowly he calmed down, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to imagine his 'friends' again. How they would free him, take him away, keep him safe and never do anything like that to him again. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, as best he could in this situation, breathing evenly, his fingers twitching in his sleep.

The door opening stirred him awake, panicking at the sight of Gaster again. He had a small sandwich and a glass of milk, the magic hands unbuckling the gag and pulling it free as Gaster sat next to him this time. “Here, eat.” He broke off bits of the sandwich, and Sans was too afraid to reject it, taking small bites and trying to avoid Gaster's fingers. Once or twice, the fingers would glide over his teeth, or press a little too deep into his mouth and he would gag and pull back, shaking harder.

Sans drank the milk quickly, shivering on the bed as Gaster put the glass to the side, standing up again. “A-A-Are we...d-done for the day?”

Gaster smirked at him, unbuckling his pants again. “With my main project, yes. With the experiments, no.” Sans flinched as best he could as Gaster straddled his belly this time, careful not to sit totally on it. His cock was out again, this time pulsing and pressed between his breasts. Sans shook harder. “Wh-What-”

“Oh you'll see.” Gaster brought up both hands, squishing the soft breasts tightly to make a channel and Sans gasped and cried out as Gaster started thrusting between them. It didn't hurt like everything else did, but each thrust pressed the cock against his cheek or teeth when it came through, smearing the purple magic over his cheek or accidentally getting it on his tongue when he tried to cry out. “S-Stop, please! Don't! Ah!”

Gaster chuckled, a bit out of breath as he started thrusting harder between the breasts, kneading them sharply. One hand pinched a nipple sharply between his fingers, making Sans arch up in pain. The other squeezed at the base of the breast, making it balloon up as he overlapped it over his cock. “That's it...just take it. You're quite soft despite being the way you are.”

Sans whined, shaking his head fast, before a hand gripped the back of his head, pushing it forward in an awkward pose. Gaster thrust faster, panting. “Open your mouth.”

Sans grit his teeth, glaring up at Gaster. Gaster snorted. “Do it, or I promise you the next time will be so much worse.”

Sans nearly faltered at that, but there was nothing that could hurt as bad as he was now, so he didn't, turning his head as best he could. Gaster sighed. “Stubborn fool.” Two hands yanked Sans' mouth open, keeping it open as Gaster thrust between his breasts. As he stuttered to a pause, the magic came out, shooting into Sans' mouth as he gasped and coughed, flicking his tongue and trying to move his head, and Gaster slowly dragged it down his breasts, smearing the magic over them.

Gaster chuckled as he put his cock away. “I think I'll leave you like that. You shouldn't have crossed me, Sans.” He sighed, shaking his head as if Sans was merely an errant school child. Sans glared at him through the tears as the two hands slammed his mouth shut, making him swallow, before bringing up the ball again and forcing it into his mouth despite his yells.

Gaster hummed as he headed to a small dresser drawer, digging into it. “I did say I would make it worse, did I not?” He pulled out three binder clasps and Sans looked confused. How would that make things worse?

Gaster approached, one hand gripping a breast as he pulled the nipple tightly, making Sans arch up to get some relief. The clip snapped on, making Sans scream behind the gag. The other breast got the same treatment, and then Gaster headed to the end of the bed, kneeling between Sans' legs this time.

Sans gasped and coughed as tears spilled over his skull, unable to think through the sharp pain on his chest.

Then something snapped onto the thing between his legs, and he screamed, arching up as he tried to toss it off. Gaster laughed, standing up as he thumped the thing inside him. “There, that should learn you a lesson. Let us hope tomorrow brings us some results.”

And then he left Sans, this time turning off the light. Sans could barely get his breath through the sharp pain points. It felt like the time he touched a nail, except worse. It didn't help that it was dark now, and he could barely tell when hours passed. He couldn't sleep, couldn't even relax, his body quaking and shivering as it tried to get away from the pain.

He was sure the night had passed, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain. He tried to remain still to prevent the clamps from jostling, but every breath or hiccup made them move on his chest, causing him to squirm, making the one between his legs pinch harder.

Gaster opened the door, flicking on the lights again. He ignored Sans' muffled pleas as he summoned the soul again, injecting it with the warmth inducing liquid, putting both items away. He chuckled as he headed to the end of the bed once more, unzipping his pants and yanking the thing inside him out. “You're very tight when you're in pain, so I'll leave you like this until we're done this time. Perhaps we'll even succeed.”

Sans tossed his head back with a scream as Gaster thrust in, hips knocking into the clip attached to him. He hummed, worming a hand down to tug at it, making Sans' hips buck up into the thrusts, hips shaking in pain as he squeezed around the hard cock. Gaster hissed, thrusting faster into Sans. “See? Very good, squeeze tighter now.”

He tugged it again, and Sans squirmed, trying to kick as Gaster thrust harder, pushing him into the bed as he gasped and whined. Finally Gaster thrust in deep, pushing the clip in an odd way and Gaster groaned, filling Sans once more. He pulled out, eyes bright as he cupped a hand over Sans' now bright stomach. “Finally,” he breathed out, then unclipped the one between Sans' legs, then the two on his breasts. Sans sagged in the chains, trying to get his breath back, feeling bruised and pained.

Gaster got dressed, putting away the syringe as he hummed, grinning in a slightly scary way. “Well, now that that's been accomplished, you should feel proud of yourself.” He stroked over Sans' head, Sans flinching away. “You're finally useful. However, I think I'll leave you like this for a moment.” His eye lights skated over Sans' shivering form, before letting two magic hands untie the buckle on the ball, releasing it from Sans' mouth. “Don't worry, I'll let you out of the room in a week. That should be enough time,” he muttered as he got up, heading to the door.

Sans whined, “W-Wait,” but it was too late, Gaster had shut the door. Sans groaned, his head hitting the pillow as he stared up at the ceiling with wet eyes. He felt really, really tired now, and pained, but at least he didn't have anything inside him. Rather, it felt like he had some odd...feeling, low in his pelvis. He didn't look, for now. He was sure it was something Gaster had cooked up to...shock him or something.

For now, he shut his eyes, his wrists and ankles burning in the chains, letting sleep take him far away from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) 
> 
> Ya'll love me, right? I love you :)


	4. Examination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster decides to examine his little guinea pig.
> 
> Sans does not appreciate his efforts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has morphed into something that's outside the realm of what I meant to do, but that just means some comfort chapters AND that it'll be longer! Isn't that what you sinners want?

The week passed by slowly, in Sans' opinion. Gaster still fed him different things to eat, but he didn't put the ball back into his mouth. He also didn't...do the other things as well, although his eyes would drag over Sans' exposed body, lingering on his belly or his breasts. 

Sans hated it. Hated him. But he had to get used to it, for that week at least.

Gaster brought in some weird thing that had a small circle on the end of it the next day, pressing the circle against Sans' belly. He tensed up, thinking it was just something else to hurt him, but it was just cold. Gaster moved it around, staring at something intently before nodding and putting it away, using something else to CHECK Sans' stats...? But he didn't notice the CHECK. What was he doing?

Either way, he never got an answer. He tried to turn away from the food in protest so he would get an answer, but Gaster force fed him, nearly cracking his jaw open with how hard he yanked. “It wouldn't do for you to dust from hunger, damn it. Then there's all my work out the window.”

Sans felt queasy one day, but Gaster wouldn't let him up, just giving him an odd salty pill that took away the nausea. Weirdly nice of him. In fact, the switch from slightly mean doctor to torturous scientist and then to this...nice doctor was head spinning for Sans. He still tried very hard not to attract Gaster's attention, holding his thighs tightly together as best he could.

Sans flinched when Gaster finally released him, his back popping as he finally sat up with a groan, clutching his arms to himself. He finally saw what Gaster kept going on about. Nestled in his belly was some funny light, and a little soul that looked much like his. He tilted his head. Was that his soul? Did Gaster move it somehow? He slid a hand down, poking at his belly before Gaster snatched his wrist up, looking at him murderously. 

“You will leave it alone. This is now your purpose, understand? You'll bring about a new army. Now, get up and out of bed, and I'll give you a check up.”

He let go but Sans still shook. His wrist hurt even worse now that Gaster had squeezed it. He nodded. “Y-Yessir.” He used to fight back, hard and fast, when Gaster would drag him to whatever horrible experiment he wanted to try, but he'd been punished quite thoroughly into following orders. Still, a little bit of anger flickered to life, every so often, and he'd mouth off.

Gaster would tolerate it, to a point, and Sans knew how to push to that point. Not today, though. This past week had thoroughly shocked him into obeying for now. The chain on his ankle remained, and Gaster whipped around, heading out the door. 

Sans shivered, making a face at the mess over his thighs that had dried in a gross scratchy way. He hoped he could have a bath soon.

He knew which way the 'medical' room was, and he hurried after Gaster, shivering in the cool air now that he was no longer distracted with...everything. He missed his sweater. 

Once he was inside the room, Gaster motioned at the gurney not looking at him as he looked at his clipboard. Sans slowly climbed up onto it, squeezing his thighs together with a blush. He didn't want Gaster to have that look on his face, again. It took a moment before he shifted his arm to try and cover his breasts as well.

Gaster snorted, shaking his head as he held a pen light in his hand. “You're ridiculous, Sans. You would think after this week you would have gotten rid of that ridiculous shyness. Now, uncover.”

Sans blushed harder, especially as he was talked down to. He shivered. “I-I'm...cold.”

“If you take longer, then you'll be even colder. Uncover, now.”

Sans flinched, slowly drawing his arms from bracing in front of him, the arms shaking as he braced them on his sides with a gulp. Gaster leaned forward, dragging one arm up and poking the pen light at the bruise on his wrist. “Not broken.” He muttered, stretching Sans' arm up above his head. Sans flinched at the ache. “Keep it up. This one too.” Gaster lifted Sans' other hand up above his head and Sans shook, feeling more exposed than he had been.

Gaster set the pen light down, pressing a finger into Sans' armpits, watching him flinch. Then he slid the fingers down, cupping both breasts in his hands. Sans shook and twisted his head away with a whine as Gaster squeezed one tightly. “Hm, adequate size. The bruising didn't ruin the muscle,” he muttered, plucking at the nipples as Sans squirmed, gasping.

“If nothing occurs, will have to dose the experiment with the appropriate medications,” he mumbled, the magic hand scribbling away on the clipboard. He slid both hands down, clutching at Sans' thighs and forcing them open as Sans squeaked, his thighs shaking as he tried to shut them again.

Gaster glared at him. “Stop it or I'll tie you back down.” Sans quickly nodded, panting from fear as Gaster placed a hand over his belly, above his hips. The funny little soul inside pulsed and Gaster smirked. “Perfect response, soul is strong, will keep tabs on the structure as it forms.”

More scribbling and Gaster hummed, tapping a finger on Sans' knee. “No no, this will not work. Bad angle. Lay on the gurney, now.” He let go of Sans and Sans scrambled to obey, laying back on the crinkling paper. At least he wasn't looking at him?

Gaster sighed, turning around and leaning down to tug on something under the gurney, bringing up two metal poles. Sans looked at it in confusion and Gaster gripped one painful ankle, pulling it up into the cuff and buckling it. Sans gasped, squirming as he tried to avoid Gaster's hand on his other ankle. “Y-You said-!”

“I am examining you, and if you do not stop I will tie your hands down as well.” Sans shuddered at the dark look, hesitating for a moment with his leg curled up close to him, but he didn't have a choice as Gaster snatched the chain, forcing him to spread out with his feet buckled into the cuffs. He blushed brightly, whining as he hid his face in his hands. Maybe it would just be something embarrassing but not painful. He had to hope.

He peeked around his fingers, watching Gaster hold his hand out to a magic hand, bringing some funny steel thing. Gaster took it, looking at Sans with an irritated look. “You've been very awful today so this will definitely hurt. Perhaps next time, you'll listen.”

Sans panted harder, jumping as he felt the steel against his entrance. “N-No, don't, stop it!” He wiggled his hips trying to kick out, only to cry out as the thin silver pressed into him hard and fast. Gaster rolled his eyes. “Shut up, it's only the tip. I hope you grow up by the time this is all over. As amusing as you are, I'll gain a headache with all your whining.”

Sans gripped the crinkly paper with a hand as the steel slowly invaded his body. He tried to squeeze it out, his thighs shivering in pain as he gasped and groaned, tossing his head back. Finally it seemed to stop and he sobbed. “I-Is that it? Take it out, please, please...”

Gaster merely shot him another look, rolling his eyes. Instead he started to speak for the hand with the clipboard, “Despite the fact that the skeleton stomach is see through, I have decided to do an in-depth exam, despite the experiment's objections.” It scribbled away as Gaster started turning something, his knuckles grazing the side of San's entrance with each turn.

At first nothing happened but then Sans could feel himself open up farther than ever and he cried out, screaming in pain as he tried to buck away from it. Two magic hands pinned him down, two more gripping his wrists against the gurney.

Gaster hummed as the thing finally gave a click as it opened all the way. “Inside muscle has not torn, so no chance of infection nor danger to the infant.” He took up something that Sans didn't see, but he could feel something prod him inside, something foreign and he wailed, screaming and tossing his head back as it probed at something too deep inside. “Taking samples as, while rare, it is best safe than sorry to ensure everything is going according to plan.”

Something tinked-possibly him putting the item in a vial-and then Sans could feel the sharp fingers stroking him on the inside. He whined higher. “N-No, stop stop stop, it hurts!”

“Everything seems clear, no tears to feel that I may have missed with the light. Examination concluded, results are positive.” He withdrew his fingers, albeit very very slowly. Sans trembled under the magic hands, his skull awash with tears as he felt the clicks again as it slowly closed. Gaster yanked it out and he shrieked, arching his back in pain as Gaster dropped the speculum into a tower of water.

Sans hiccuped and shuddered in pain as Gaster smirked down at him, sliding his hand over the back of Sans' head. “One must go through a lot of trials to ensure the safety of others. Remember this. I'll give you a day before I expect you to get back to cooking and cleaning.”

Sans hiccuped harder, curling in on himself once the hands let him go and Gaster unbuckled the straps on his legs. He turned around, and Sans would have expected him to be ignored if not for the hands coming back, two of them dragging his hands back up, the other two gripping his ankles, almost carrying him through the air.

Gaster went out the door, going down the stairs as the hands floated Sans to his bedroom, almost tenderly laying him on the mattress as Sans shivered, yanking himself away from them the moment he was let go.

The silky sheets of the last bed were nice...but nothing beat his own mattress. It didn't have the memories the other one did.

He hurt everywhere now, and he wasn't sure how he was going to be better in a day. But he would, because he didn't want Gaster to assume he needed a reason to lie around. He gulped, peeking down at himself, slowly lowering his hand to his belly. The little soul inside seemed to brighten even more than when Gaster had touched it.

Sans took this to mean he was the favorite, and he carried this warm thought into his sleep, even though he hadn't really taken it all in. In the morning he would, and he would be shocked, and a little scared, and a little protective of the tiny baby, but for now, he merely basked in the thought that someone liked him better than Gaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember kids: don't shove speculums in places! That's bad. Unless you're a doctor, who's specific job is to put speculums in places.
> 
> Then we just kinkshame you.


	5. First Trimester, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster is pleased with how this is going.
> 
> Sans is...equally pleased, for different reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't have enough to do just one month, had too much to do all three. So ya'll get a two parter ;)

The first month wasn't too...terrible, considering everything else.

Each day, Sans got up, pulled up his sweater that he had found and hissed at Gaster when he tried to take it again (it didn't stop him from pulling it off, but Gaster found it amusing so much, he allowed Sans to keep the sweater), and checked on the tiny heart.

It would pulse brightly under his hand, and he would smile and sway in place for a moment, basking in the happy feelings. For now, there was only a small cloud around the soul, but soon a little skeleton would form. He knew enough to know that.

Then he would get up, and do what he always did: make breakfast, and clean up. Not like the house was filthy. He just swept and dusted then went and sat down. Sometimes he read a book, sometimes he stared at the wall.

There was once a big weird screen in the house, but Gaster had gotten rid of it. 'Rots what little brains you have left,' he had been told.

Every three days, Gaster would order him into the medical room. Sans would climb up onto the gurney, where Gaster tugged the sweater up from over his belly to examine the baby. He checked Sans' temperature, gave him more injections, but other than that, didn't subject him to another weird invasive procedure.

Not yet, anyway.

One afternoon, while Gaster was off to work, Sans crept to the window near the door. His chain jerked, making him unable to walk all the way to it, but he leaned against the windowsill, barely able to peek over it. The window was huge, it was pretty tall as it was, but Sans didn't have anything to compare it to. 

The glass was cold to the touch, and he got to watch the outside. It was pure white, with a few lights outside, and shadows of others walking around. He hesitated, sliding his hand down to cup over his belly.

“...it's cold out there, do you know what cold is?” he mumbled softly. “It's not good. I don't like it. I bet you won't either.” He rubbed a thumb over the happily pulsing soul. “I wonder if he'll take you out. Somewhere nice. Maybe the labs? They were nice and warm. Not cold.”

He sighed. This felt weird, but according to one of the books he had dug up, one that was completely destroyed by water but had a few important dry pages, talking to the baby was a good thing. And he wanted to be good for the baby.

“I like apples. I hope you do. Apples are good. I wonder what you'll look like? It's okay if you look like him. I know genetics.” He placed his hand over the window again, staring out into the dark forest. “I know I'm on the low end. Stats and all. But I really hope you aren't.”

After staring outside for a while longer, the ache in his ankle became too much and he hobbled back to the couch, laying on it again and curling up into his sweater for a nap.

At the end of the month, Sans was back in the medical room, sans (hah) his sweater once more. He shook as he was forced to lay down with his legs up in the loops again, having been cuffed into them. “I-Is it going to hurt again?”

Gaster rolled his eyes, tugging a stool over as he rolled in front of the gurney. “Not this time, last time was a punishment. This time I have something that will help it go in smoother. Besides, stress is bad this early in the pregnancy.”

Sans nodded slowly, shivering as he played with his fingers, lacing them together as he nervously tried to watch. He felt the blunt end of the silver thing and flinched, but this time it seemed not as forceful. It slid in very slowly, and he let out a breath, relaxing around it slowly. 

Gaster muttered off different things Sans couldn't understand. He tried to relax, tried to imagine he was anywhere else, but he gasped as he felt something touch deep into him. Gaster hummed. “Everything is within place, nothing loose, appears to be in proper health.”

Sans panted softly, hoping this meant Gaster would take it out. It felt horrible, not as bad as last time, but still horrible. Gaster muttered as the hand proceeded to write on the clipboard again and Sans shuddered as he sighed, looking up again. 

What did other monsters think about when they were going to have a baby? He idly wondered where the baby would sleep, but assumed Gaster had some room or another that was locked up that he hadn't seen. He jumped when the steel thing was pulled out, gulping as he finally felt put back together instead of spread out.

Gaster tossed the speculum back into the water tower, loosening Sans' legs out of the metal poles. Sans scrambled to get redressed in his sweater, shivering in the slight chill. Gaster looked at him from the corner of his eye while taking the clipboard from his magic hand and writing. “There will be no more check ups like this from now on, until you're seven months at least. Then we will have to keep an eye out for any sudden pains or contractions.”

Sans nodded, playing with his sleeve a bit. “I-Is there anything else?”

Gaster seemed to take his time, flipping a page on his clipboard, drawing out the tension for Sans before he waved him out. “Go, make dinner, do whatever it is you do this time of day.”

Sans skittered out of there as fast as his legs could carry him.

The second month came around, and Sans felt more and more tired every day. His hand kept creeping down to his belly, which had gained a very slight curve. He didn't even feel like doing his normal walking rounds around the house.

But with the tiredness came the baby's skeleton. 

Sans could see it, it was small around the soul, a backbone, a set of ribs,a tiny hand here...he couldn't help tears welling up as he looked in the mirror in the bathroom. The baby was so small, so tiny. How could this turn into a soldier? 

Sans shook his head, rubbing his belly softly, watching the little floating baby seem to move towards his hand. “I bet you'll be strong,” he whispered. “Stronger than me, and smarter too. You'll be amazing.”

He stroked over the small baby before he quickly pulled his sweater back on, hurrying out of the bathroom.

He noticed, during the month, the usually soft feeling of his sweater was scratchy at his breasts. It hurt and he couldn't help yanking it off during the night. It wasn't fair, that was his favorite-and only-sweater. 

He tried not to tear up again. He was also crying a lot easier lately. He even surprised Gaster when Gaster, in his usual spiteful way, said Sans did an 'adequate' job with the making of the macaroni salad the other day. Sans burst into tears, and he couldn't even say what was wrong. Gaster looked nervous, and Sans could laugh about it now that he wasn't crying.

The new thing happening was Gaster giving him new shots. “Vitamin shots,” he had said after bandaging Sans' arm after the injections. “The body is overwhelmed with the infant, thus the need for additional nutrients.”

Nothing more happened, although Sans could feel Gaster's lingering gaze on his breasts on the days he had to strip his sweater off. He shuddered, recalling the awful experience from before, and made himself scarce, holing up in his room or wrapping himself in a blanket.

The next month...the next month decided the course of Sans and his baby's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll, I'm just so in love with this whole thing. You don't even know.
> 
> I'm truly having the time of my life traumatizing Sans/Red. How horrible of me =)


	6. First Trimester, Part 2, Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster makes a mistake.
> 
> Sans' hopeful dreams are dashed, and he faces reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey  
no sexual pain this time, but this time...Sans gets a bit of the ol' reality bat to the face.

When the third month slowly ticked by, according to Sans' calendar, he was happy to see that he had slowly rounded out a little more, stretching the sweater out a bit. It pulled up against his thighs, no longer able to be worn down by his knees. He also could see the beginnings of the tiniest little skeleton around the small soul, about as big as his thumb if not bigger!

So he started gushing about the baby to the only person around: Gaster. And, well, the mirror him, but that didn't count.

Gaster merely nodded as Sans babbled on at the table during breakfast. Sans wasn't stupid, he knew Gaster would be comparing it to measurements of other monster children at this stage, so he was trying to cut out any more 'check ups' Gaster had to do.

If he had to seem like a gushing parent to do so, so be it.

...wait what was he?

When Gaster left that morning, Sans shuffled to the bookshelf. Physics, Intermediate Astrodynamics...no, no...there!

He pulled out a waterlogged book, the only book Gaster had allowed Sans to keep after he begged him-probably how Gaster got this whole idea to begin with-and he looked at the front of it with a squint. It was horribly ruined, but the little bit he could see were little...funny squares with A B C written on it.

Below that, it said 'Mama's First...' something. Ah, so he was a mama! He nodded to himself, shuffling over to the couch to climb up and balance the book on his knee as he flipped through the pages.

Nothing was really saved, but there was an image that he had adored that was the reason he begged to keep it. It was a woman, smiling endearingly down at the small being in her arms, the little one looking at peace with a small smile.

He felt a pang of something he wasn't sure. He smiled to himself, cupping his hand over his belly softly. “Look! You'll look like that! Well, except without skin. But just as little! I hope you're a bit bigger though. You'll need all the strength to be a soldier!”

He wasn't entirely sure what a soldier did, but he knew that 'soldier' meant 'bodyguard' and to be a bodyguard, one had to be scary...and big.

With that, he continued to read what he could out of the book. Some of it didn't apply to him, and some of it piqued his interest, but beyond that, it wasn't entirely useful. He put it back though, hiding it behind other books, not keen to toss it away yet.

He patted his belly with a smile. “Mama will protect you!”

Sans' health declined over the day. He knew Gaster wouldn't be home until that night. He wasn't worried, at first. He felt a little dizzy, so instead of doing his usual route of walking around the house, he set himself up on the couch, whining softly before shucking off his sweater. For some reason, the warmth of it made him sick.

He wadded it up, tucking it under his belly as he laid on his side, head cushioned on the arm of the couch as he hesitated before tugging the blanket around him. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

It would pass, it had to. Sometimes he got a little dizzy with the baby, but it was okay. It would pass. It would pass...it would-

With a speed even Sans didn't know he had, he darted off into the bathroom, paying regard to the porcelain throne. The only time they ever had use of the toilet is if Gaster had to resort to buying 'human food'. Sans didn't like it as well, but they had to survive with what they had.

Unfortunately, everything he ate came right back up. Sans shuddered and cried, feeling woozy after he stopped. He panted, trying to get his balance back but sadly his body denied it, forcing him to throw more magic up.

He wasn't sure how long he was there, but by the time he was done, he felt starved but still sick, curled up on the bathroom rug, panting softly with what felt like a clammy fever. He shuddered, curling his legs up with a sniff. Even Gaster would be preferable right now. At least he'd know how to help Sans, even if it was just because of the baby.

Speak of the devil, Gaster appeared in the doorway, looking annoyed at first, then confused. “What in the world is going on here? Why are you napping-ew.”

If he had a nose, it would have wrinkled. Sans whined, tilting his head into the rug with a shudder. “Dun feel good...can't keep anything down...”

Gaster sighed, his magic hands going to work to get rid of everything Sans had tossed up, and for once picking up Sans physically. Sans whined, clutching at his shirt and shivering harder, feeling the roiling magic in his stomach. Gaster glared at him as he started walking out of the room. “If you throw up on me, I will find a way to get back at you for that.”

Thankfully, Sans had nothing left to give. He hiccuped and coughed, his throat aching horribly now as Gaster laid him on the gurney, several magic hands darting around to pull over a monitor and some grabbing up syringes and vials.

Gaster clicked on the monitor, eye lights darting to Sans then back at his monitor. “Hm. Excessive 'morning sickness', what an odd name for it. Nonetheless, if you can't keep anything down, I'll have to hook you up to keep some fluids in you at least for now.”

Sans shivered, laying on the crinkly paper on his side, hazily watching Gaster as he tried to breathe evenly. Gaster rolled his eyes. “Do you even listen to me? It doesn't matter. I think to avoid more of this in the future, for now, I'll sedate you. Perhaps this will abate soon, laying around and being lazy isn't good for the baby.”

Sans mumbled something about the baby, hand curling over his stomach as he shivered harder. Gaster picked up a syringe, gripping Sans' bicep and injecting the fluid in. He had made these needles easy to slip through bone, although when Sans was 'being annoying' he'd use bigger ones.

Gaster sighed, letting one of the hands float off with the syringe as he watched Sans' eyes flutter, clinging to awareness as long as possible. Gaster snorted. What a hard headed imbeci-

The monitor flashed, blaring a red screen. It was monitoring the infant's soul. Gaster looked from it to Sans' belly, quickly yanking the hand away from on top of it. The little soul was fluttering, darkening. Gaster cursed. “Fuck...no, no I've come too far...!”

Sans blissfully slipped into the void of sleep, unaware of the chaos that Gaster was having to deal with due to his own hubris.

When Sans awoke next, he was on a soft bed, again. He jerked, sitting up quickly, before gagging a bit. He wasn't tied down, except for the usual chain, and he still felt a little sick. He looked around, confused, before a wave of dizziness hit him and he laid back, panting through it, trying to put himself back together.

His stomach hurt, a lot. After fighting past the wave of dizziness, the shifted the blanket down his belly, ignoring his nudity. He recalled taking his sweater off earlier, and hoped Gaster didn't throw it away.

He stared with wide eyes at his stomach.

Over his stomach was a very big bandage, gauze his mind told him, wrapped tight around his belly. The little baby didn't seem hurt, although he seemed very very sluggish in how he kicked. But the tiny soul was dimmer, considerably, and there was the smallest stain of purple on the soul.

Sans stared at it for a moment. His hand shook as he slowly spread his hand just above the bandage with a flinch. Something under it hurt, very much so, as if someone had tried to cut on him. The baby, noticing his mother's hand, sluggishly but eagerly kicked around, as if trying to get close to his hand.

Sans sniffled, tearing up. What happened? He thought Gaster was going to fix him being sick, not nearly kill the infant!

Gaster opened the door, looking the slightest bit abashed as he shut the door behind him, a tray of one of Sans' favorite foods on it: apples with caramel on top of the slices, with a glass of milk. Sans stared at him as he approached, taking a chair to drag over and sit down on it as he adjusted the tray over Sans' lap.

Sans blinked. “What...h-happened?” he coughed, his throat sore. He took a sip of the milk quickly as Gaster cleared his throat. “I failed to recall that sedatives and infants don't quite mix. I had to act quickly and inject you with a medication that countered the sedative. The infant is...mostly unharmed, just...sleepy, as you would say.”

He made a face at the childish word as Sans nodded slowly. “O-Oh...”

“However, you still need to be sedated, in the future if this occurs again. I'll investigate and see what would not harm the infant, and then this will not happen again.”

Ah. The food was a bribe then, to ease Sans into listening or into not arguing with him. Sans tensed a bit. Gaster would do this again, and Sans would be unconscious, without a thought of what was happening to his baby, and Gaster not quite secure in his knowledge of how the medicine would interact with the baby.

Sans took a small breath, and nibbled on an apple slice, before nodding at Gaster. “Okay. Can I sleep now? I'm really tired, and I-I read sleep helps the baby grow.”

Gaster grunted, standing up from his chair with a sigh. “I'll allow it. I'll keep a track of the wound, once it's healed, I expect you up and walking, no exceptions.”

Sans nodded again, concentrating on slowly eating his apple slices as Gaster exited the room.

Sans had a plan. He'd heal, and then, he'd start back finding weaknesses in this gilded cage of a house. Gaster was going to end up killing him, or the baby. He knew, deep in his heart, Gaster would most likely take the child the moment they were able to be separated to begin training as a soldier, but he had fooled himself that somehow, someway, he would life a nice little life with him and his baby and occasionally a cruel doctor.

But no. He had to shake himself out of that dream. The reality was, Gaster was horribly dangerous, he always had been. Despite his intentions of keeping the baby safe for his own goals, he nearly ended their life. Had it just been Sans, he most likely wouldn't have cared.

Sans shivered, his hand cupping over his belly with a sigh, a steely look in his eyes. “Don't worry...I won't let this happen again.”

But first...he had to play along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans had went along with all of this because, honestly, deeply, he really truly thought that somehow he's just live with himself and the baby and you know, mean ol' Gaster who would come and scare him or do something mean.
> 
> It's weird that THIS is what crosses the line, but a guy's gotta draw the line in the sand somewhere.


	7. A 'Hero's' Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster heals Sans, and finds himself a hero.
> 
> Sans only has one thing to reward him with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semishort one, but possibly more sexy times in next chapter, THEN Sans will escape. Most likely. Definitely.

Each day, Gaster would come into the room with something Sans liked to eat. He'd undo the bandage and check the, in Sans' opinion, ugly little injection site on his stomach. Happily, all the good healing food was giving him bursts of magic that would heal it over, but it was taking a while.

The little purple bruise on the baby had faded fast, and the baby returned to spinning around and around in place, only pausing when Sans touched near him and appearing to 'swim' to his hand. Sans found it hilarious, or maybe it was because he didn't have anything else to distract him, so he'd gently lead the baby to move around.

Each time Gaster unwound or rewound the bandage, he'd somehow make it so his hand would graze one of Sans' breasts. Sans would jump, or lean away, he was still...sensitive right now, but it never stopped Gaster's wandering eyes. Thankfully the blanket was a sort of shield around his waist.

He idly wondered if the injury was the only thing keeping him safe, right now. Most likely. Soon Gaster would stop just looking or trying to touch. Sans shuddered. No, never again.

By the time the last of the bandage had come off, and he was fully healed, he had a plan set. He would not spend the rest of the time here, being scared and anxious and possibly used again. Not possibly, most definitely. He would escape, with his baby in tow, and they would...well, they would...find another place! He'd never been outside before but it couldn't be that bad, right? The time he was taken from the lab to here...he'd been knocked out then, as well.

Hm.

It doesn't matter! He would get out.

With all his planning and thinking, he hadn't noticed Gaster had held the door open for him as he slowly walked out, a little jittery from not walking for a while, just like last time. Before he got far, Gaster's hand pressed on his head, making him pause.

“You know,” Gaster drawled as he walked around Sans to appear in front of him, grinning sharply. “I think I deserve a reward. I'm saving our kind, I've worked hard to get you good food, and I even kept the baby alive. Don't you think that deserves something?”

Sans shook on the inside. Secretly, he wanted to spit in Gaster's face, or cry, or hit him. But he had to act natural. So instead, he widened his eyes, fiddling with his fingers since he was still missing his sweater. “...w-what do you mean? Like...a sticker? I found some the other day.”

Gaster scoffed, rolling his eyes. “If I were a child that would be appropriate. No no, I'll show you. Even if you struggle it's fine with me, I much prefer it anyway.” He turned around, a magic hand nudging Sans to go forward once Gaster's hand left his head.

With each step, Sans felt like he was stepping up to have his head chopped off. This was worse, somehow.

Gaster sat on the couch, Sans' sweater was on the arm of it as he had left it. He shot it a needy look, shivering in the cold, but he couldn't stop due to the hand pushing him. He yipped when one pushed his head down, making him kneel in front of Gaster. He shivered, putting his hands in front of him, attempting to block Gaster's view of his body.

Gaster tutted, his shoe nudging Sans' thigh lightly as he unzipped his pants, his large purple cock flopping out. “Don't be like that. Or do, it doesn't matter to me. I have a few reports to do, and I'd like to see that mouth shut up for an hour. Think you can do it?”

Sans shivered, gulping. “D-Do what?”

Gaster rolled his eyes. “Must I explain everything? No, don't bother,” he cut off Sans who had opened his mouth to answer. “I'll just do it myself.”

He easily reached for his papework even as hands raced down and gripped Sans. Sans squeaked, trying to squirm out of the touches, but it was too late. One hand held both of Sans' wrists behind him, causing his chest to bow out a bit. One hand dived between his legs, fingers skittering over his entrance and teasing something that made him squirm hard. Two hands pinned his ankles to the ground while a few forced his mouth open and shoved his head down onto Gaster's cock.

Sans choked, squirming, his body squirming under the hands' movements. Gaster chuckled. “You don't need to breathe. Now, take what I'm giving you, this is as much a reward for me as it is a punishment for you.”

With that, he thoroughly ignored Sans, pen scratching at the reports. Every so often the hand on Sans' head would let up, making him dart his head back, before forcing his head back down and he'd scream around Gaster's cock.

Sans breathed heavily, feeling it pulse in his mouth sharply as he swallowed down the gross magic again. He thought that would be the end of it but none of the hands let up, and Gaster didn't seemed phased. Instead, the hand started forcing Sans' head to move, until the cock was hard once more, and then he was shoved to Gaster's hips, forcing him still.

The hand between his legs pressed a finger into him, and he shook as it started to thrust. It didn't..hurt this time, but he didn't like it. One hand squeezed his breast, making him whine and squeal around Gaster's cock again.

It lasted for...ever, it seemed. Maybe two hours? Sans wasn't sure. He just knew there was a puddle under him, his hips shook as he felt really strange with the hand thrusting now three fingers into him, and he had drank down the magic several times. Finally the hand let Sans' head up, and Gaster put aside the reports as he was finished, stacking them together and ignoring as Sans gasped and squirmed, his hips trying to either escape the hand pressing fingers into him or push against it.

Gaster chuckled, looking down at Sans' hazy eyes, the purple magic dripping down his jaw. He cupped the other side, rubbing a thumb against Sans' cheek and Sans flinched. “Oh none of that, I made you feel good this time, isn't that nice?” He tapped Sans' cheek in a mockery of a slap before he got up, avoiding Sans who was busy pleading for Gaster to let him go, whining as he shook again and the hand kept up the thrusts into him.

Gaster grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, sipping it as he turned back. “This is a nice sight, but I think too much stress too soon would be bad.” The hand on Sans' head disappeared, and the one with the fingers inside him thrust in deep, grinding its palm against him and he shrieked, arching into it as he gasped. The feelings were very weird, and it left him panting, unbalanced, and he nearly fell over once all the hands let him go. He had to catch himself on his hands, kneeling again as he panted sharply, arms shaking, his thighs filthy with his own stickiness.

He flinched as Gaster approached, patting Sans' head. “I've read a few interesting scientific papers. Once a week, I'll find something new for you to do, and see if that doesn't get rid of some...excess energy. Now, I'll be back tonight, clean all this up.”

Sans whined as Gaster left him, shakily climbing up onto the couch and flinching as he quickly shoved himself away from where Gaster had sat. He leaned back to pluck his sweater from the end, clutching it in front of him as he panted, trying to calm down.

Did...Gaster suspect something? Or was this just more of his cruelness? No, no it just had to be some escalation is all. Sans had JUST decided to escape, no way Gaster could...read his mind.

As Gaster passed by, Sans watched him with wide eyes. Gaster turned, grinning sharply at him. “I'll see you tonight.”

The door shut, and locked.

Sans shuddered. He couldn't do this again. He had to make a plan, because all he had was one chance, and he knew it.

But when...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't that fun? Sans is gonna be so wrECKED by the end of this.
> 
> Good thing there's a few skeletons out there willing to help him UwU


	8. Out With A Bang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster has a bad week.
> 
> Sans does too, but hopefully things turn good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter we've all been waiting for is here! Drum roll, applause, thank you thank you.

Sans had had a terrible week. Ever since the...thing Gaster had did, Gaster wouldn't leave him alone! He'd reach out to touch Sans' shoulder, slide a hand to graze a breast, or prod his belly. Thankfully he managed to avoid any hands near his lower half, squirming away or rushing off to clean up.

Weirdly, Gaster seemed more amused than angry.

It wasn't until the end of the week that he came home, slamming the door, yanking at the tie on his neck and tossing his lab coat onto the coat hook. Sans flinched from his spot on the couch, staring with wide eyes. “D-Doctor...? What's wrong?”

Gaster looked at him, almost appraisingly, before he marched to the couch, yanking off Sans' blanket even as Sans fought to keep it. Hands appeared and yanked Sans' hands back, keeping them pinned to the arm of the couch while two more spread his legs open by yanking one ankle down to the floor and the other pinned to the back of the couch. Sans squealed. “N-No, stop, I didn't do anything!”

Gaster didn't seem to hear him, scowling as he yanked his sleeve down, growling as he reached out to Sans and immediately plunging a finger into him, thrusting in deep as Sans gasped and whined. “Who does he think he is, he doesn't even see the lab work that confirms the results!”

Sans whined, shaking as his hands curled tight, bucking as Gaster roughly introduced another finger, thrusting them and rubbing inside Sans, the fingers going in and out in different movements. “I mean, I'm the Royal Scientist, he should just trust me instead of deciding to take over!”

Sans choked on a breath as Gaster mashed his thumb against something that made him quiver around the fingers, shrieking as a third was added, Gaster curling them with a snarl. “Stop making so many stupid noises!”

Sans whined, hiding his face in his elbow as he shuddered, the hand squelching with each thrust into him as Gaster continued to rant, “How dare he order me around my own labs. King or not, he's getting on my last nerve. A damn week he wants us to stay there, as if I don't have a life of my own.”

He squirmed a fourth finger in, despite Sans' pleas and his bucking. He slapped Sans' thigh sharply, managing to thrust the fingers in, looking at Sans with a blank look. Sans gasped and squirmed, his hips moving without thought.

It didn't last long before Gaster yanked his fingers from him, and before Sans could relax, the hands dragged him right onto Gaster's lap and his cock, spearing him down with a shriek as he arched up, squeezing tight around Gaster. Gaster groaned, thrusting twice before he filled Sans up as Sans shuddered, slumping on his lap for the moment until Gaster pushed him off and back onto the couch, not too roughly considering the baby.

The hands left Sans, leaving him to curl up and drag the blanket back over him with a sniffle as Gaster walked around, cursing and ranting about his lab and his life and all that.

Sans peeked out slowly, despite the ache in his lower half. Gaster would be gone, for a week. That was his exit! He just had to play it just right, and Gaster would never know a thing...unless he did something weird, or mean.

Gaster yanked on his lab coat the next day, seeming in a horrible mood once more. Thankfully he didn't touch Sans this time, and Sans didn't chance it, keeping on his sweater this time as he played with a sleeve as he stood near the couch.

“W-What would you like me to do for the week?”

Gaster scowled, picking up a briefcase by the door. “I don't care. You have food in the kitchen, don't be a fool and starve yourself. Don't do anything stupid in general. I'd say I'll visit but he has us on lockdown. Don't worry, I'll certainly make up for it when I get home.” He smirked at Sans, who shuddered, looking away.

Wishful thinking, Doc, Sans thought as Gaster headed out into the white outside. He had to bide his time though. If he got free, and went out, there was no telling how long it would take for Gaster to find his way back and throw him back inside.

Sans bided his time. The first day, he ate, took a shower, rested. Every part of him ached a bit, but by the next day, he felt wonderful. His baby was wheeling around, a little bigger now, about as big as his hand? Maybe? He was bigger than the soul, but only just.

The second day passed by slowly. All he could do was walk around the house over and over and over.

Third day...Fourth day...Sans fidgeted as he checked off the day, making it the fifth day.

He had stuffed himself with food, making himself a bit sick but he needed the extra magic. Last time he had picked the lock to the chain, but Gaster had happily introduced him to the reason why he shouldn't have done that. Sawing was his only choice now, and he could only hope it somehow wouldn't alert Gaster to what he was up to.

He summoned a red sharp bone, sitting next to the entrance of the house. The moment he was free, he'd spring...and...go...somewhere.. Anywhere was better. He started sawing a chain or two out. He'd have to figure a way to get the cuff off at a later date. Time passed slowly, only broken by Sans' rough breathing and the rough noises of the sawing. He had to take a break every so often, leaning over made him breathless now.

It took two hours until, finally, with a clink, the chain fell to a floor. He stared for a moment, gripping the bone tightly. He was free. He...was free. The last time he dared to do this...no, he couldn't think on that.

He turned around slowly, gulping. It was cold out, and all he had on was his sweater. He shook his head. “It's okay, baby. We'll be okay.”

It was just as much to assure the baby as it was himself.

He approached the door shakily. Would Gaster be standing there, prepared to face Sans and introduce him to a brand new world of pain? Or would it be maybe a fake door...? Some long running joke of Gaster's to make Sans think he had an opportunity of freedom? Or maybe-

His hand clutched the doorknob, his bones shaking harder as he slowly turned it. No, it was locked. He gulped, slipping his hand up to unlock the deadbolt, before he slowly brought his hand back down, and twisted the doorknob.

It was white outside, like he thought. Wind blew fiercely around him, chilling him to the bone-hahaha. He shuddered, his feet sinking into the whiteness of the outside. It felt a bit cold too, but...then it felt a little odd? Like he couldn't feel it anymore.

Oh well. He shook it off, taking another step forward, then looked around. Nothing. A long stretch of weird...tall things, a light on a tall pole, and the house behind him. 

Where would he go? Where should he go? There was nothing around him, and he knew the cold was very bad for him. He wasn't sure how bad, but it was bad.

He started off, holding the red sharp bone in his hand as he went to the right. The bone wavered, his magic hadn't been used as combat in ...ever. It was hard to keep shape. Sans let out a shaky breath, giggling at the cloud in front of him. “Oh!”

He breathed again, laughing at the clouds. For a moment he forgot what he was doing, and started making funny breaths, jumping around in the whiteness, spinning a little before racing around. This was glorious! This was amazing! It wasn't fair that Gaster had kept him away from all this!

Then...something in the distance moved, and he booked it. It was obviously Gaster, that was the only logical conclusion. He panted as he tried to run but his feet sunk in the whiteness. He kept running in the whistling wind, whirling whiteness nearly blinding him.

He banged into a door and he gasped, before smacking on it. “Please! Let me in! I need help!”

Nobody answered, but the door opened. Curious, but Sans had no time for curious. He slammed the door behind him, panting sharply in the cold house. It was dark, and cold, and his feet were on some kind of metal floor?

He reached out with his hand, slowly finding the light switch and turning it on, bracing against the bright light before opening his eyes slowly.

It...well it was weird. It looked like a room from the labs, before Gaster took him away from it. It had the same slick floors and walls, but the scribbled writings on blue sheets and papers were Gaster's writing.

Sans looked around nervously, slowly taking a step further into the room. There were a few boxes, 'Test #564' on one box, 'Experiment 89' on another. “This must be where he does his side experiments,” Sans mumbled, rubbing his belly slowly. “He always had something going on other than The Core or the Barrier...I never knew what though.”

He gulped, shaking in fear. If Gaster knew he was in here...he took a small breath. He couldn't know. He couldn't.

He turned a small corner around the boxes, pausing. There was a tall oval machine, with a little screen next to it, wires spilling from it and papers scattered next to it. 'Failure' one said in big letters. It had the most amount of dust on it.

Sans frowned, taking a step close to it and touching the machine gently. “It's okay, he called me a failure too...maybe I can fix you?” 

He looked back at the door, waiting for anyone to burst in, to drag him kicking and screaming back to his prison, but nothing. He let out a breath, looking back at the machine with a smile. “Let's do it!”

Sans had no idea how much time passed, but he knew it hadn't been a day, so he was still okay. But it was cold sitting on the floor in nothing but a sweater, digging through wires and parsing out calculations from Gaster's writings.

He dragged one of the sheets over, sitting on it. Not too much warmer, but warmer than nothing. He continued to work, twisting wires and muttering to himself.

Finally, the tangle of wires was done, and he gently slipped them back into the cabinet of the machine, standing up and popping his back as he patted his belly. “That was a lot of work! Are you okay, baby?” The little glow of happiness was his answer, and he happily grinned like a fool. He was so happy.

They just had to be safe now.

Whatever this thing was, Gaster was trying to make it so that one person could go traveling somewhere else. Sans wanted that. He needed that. Even if it didn't work, he'd be somewhere not near the home, and that would be better than nothing.

He started pressing buttons, trying to see if he could activate it, pausing. What if it killed him? He blinked, shuddering at the fact that he felt fine with that.

Anything was better than Gaster. Even death.

But no, he had his baby to look out for. Death would have to fight him over it. He cleared his throat, swiping at a stray tear. “No more tears! Gotta be strong, right baby?” he mumbled. The screen lit up with an array of numbers, ones he had never even thought of, weird shapes and colors.

His head spun trying to figure it all out, before he quickly shook it. “We'll take our chance. Okay?”

He patted his belly, randomly choosing a set of numbers, and the machine sparked to life with a crack. The light glowed bright blue and swirled. It was so pretty, he thought, but he looked back with a frown. If Gaster found out where he went, he would ruin everything...

Sans dug in one box, finding a stray machine that had oil in it, digging into another drawer with matches. He spread the oil around, gulping as he made it back to the machine, back facing it as he lit the match. “...here's hoping, baby.”

He tossed it, letting the personal lab of Wing Dings Gaster go up in flames as he stepped through a portal into, what he hoped, was a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does it burn? Does Sans find a new home? Who was that strange figure in the distance?
> 
> Will the King ever have subjects that aren't bat shit crazy?
> 
> Find out next time!


	9. Ebbot, The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finds monsters, monsters, and then humans! And now...food...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy howdy, this was fun to write!!!

In a forest, where beautiful grass sprouted and flowers ruffled in the wind, lay a mountain. This mountain was very very large, only interrupted around its base by a winding road. The road was mostly accompanied by tourists looking to see the mountain were monsters were free, sometimes buses full or just cars.

Ebbot, the town , not the mountain, had an extensive bus route. People lived either around the mountain or worked in the other town. There was only one bus that went that way, at certain times of the day.

Fluffy clouds skated through the sky, either warning of a coming spring storm, or just happily making their way around the world.

In the forest, near a tree, a short skeleton lay on his side, sleeping soundly. There was a cuff wrapped around his ankle, three chain links attached to it, having been sawed off. He wore only a soft looking red sweater that would have gone to his knees if not for the slight bump of his stomach. Instead it was dragged up to his thighs, just a bit.

His teeth were sharp, and he had a gold tooth that seemed just a tad shorter than the rest of his teeth. What seemed to be stress marks under his eyes were eased up in his sleep.

A curious bird landed near him, tilting his head back and forth, hopping closer. The thing didn't move, so the bird became braver, landing on the skeleton on the next hop. It chirped merrily, looking all around, flying off with a scree as the skeleton gasped, sitting up sharply.

His eye lights looked around fast. They were usually white, but one was bright red from his fear, magic sparking. He panted, the red eye light flickering before it reverted back to white. He sighed, cradling his head in his hands. “...what...was that?”

He looked up again, looking around. The soft thing he was on felt mushy as he patted it, and he giggled a bit. “What is this? I like it. Baby, you'll like it. We can live here!”

...no, they couldn't. There was no house around to keep them safe, no food around that he could spot. He plucked at his sleeve, slowly gathering himself up to stand, wobbling in place.

His head hurt a little, but lately that had just been happening. It was most likely the baby and giving all his magic to forming the tiny bones. He held his hand onto the large brown thing, taking a small breath. “Okay, baby. Okay. We gotta find a house...we're definitely not where Gaster was.” Nothing was white! Not a single thing!

It was a bit scary.

He slowly started his trek, wincing at sharp things pricking his feet, but other than that, he didn't really pay attention to anything except which way he was headed.

He started off on his trek. There seemed to be a nice path that was much better than snapping things as he stepped on them. He stumbled onto the path, swaying again as he panted. He was tired, and a little hungry, but that was okay. He could find food, and a bed, and maybe nap it off.

The thought of warm food, and a possibly warm mattress, carried him on. The chain dragged on the ground, but he was so used to the weight of it, it didn't bother him. He chattered to the baby, gushing about all the new things he was seeing and hearing and feeling. The bright light in the sky warmed him up. He liked it. Cold was bad.

He shivered again, coughing softly. Maybe he spent too much time in the cold? But it was only a minute...he shook himself out of it. No, he couldn't think of that right now. He kept on, following the path that seemed to lead to some...weird...metal thing...with a seat?

It had a picture of an odd creature on the sign, but Sans didn't care. He settled onto the seat, sighing. It was deliciously warm! He swayed his legs softly, relaxing for the moment. The weird metal building kept the light off him, but that was okay. It was nice in the shadow.

There was also an odd...flooring in front of him? It was grey with little yellow dots! He wondered what it was, if he could walk on it and find what he was looking for.

And then a giant monster drove up, making him scream and shove himself in a corner.

The monster opened up!! Someone...was inside!

“Hey, you, you going on the bus or not?”

Sans panted sharply, staring at the person. The only monsters he saw was him and Gaster...but...he had hid a history book from Gaster, when he found it.

This...was a human.

Would they kill him? Steal his soul? His baby?? He shivered, his jaw working to form a sentence. “I-I...what's...a bus?”

The human stared at him. “Really? Did ya get a hit on the noggin. Look, we're heading back into town, do you want a ride or not?”

Sans perked up. Town! He knew that's where houses were! He quickly nodded, patting the chair as a thanks, before rushing up to slowly climb into the 'bus'.

The human made a noise. “Whoa, kid, where's your shoes? And...pants??”

Sans blinked at the human. They had long hair and pretty red on their mouth. He tugged at his sleeves, swaying on his feet. “I just, um, have my sweater. A-And I'm not a kid!”

The human shrugged. “Sure, whatever you say, kid. Not my problem, just don't flash the public, got it? Or I'll have to kick you out.”

Sans shrunk into his sweater, nodding quickly. The human raised an eyebrow, pointing at the machine near them. “Well? Pay for your ticket.”

Sans leaned to look at the machine, hugging it with a curious look. “Ticket? Pay? That's the thing with...um...what you get when you work, right?”

The human gave a sigh, shaking their head, muttering about weird monsters. “Look, just, go sit down. Got it?”

Sans nodded, shuffling away down the 'bus'. There were other people here!!! He vibrated in place, a mix of excitement and nervousness. He took a seat near the front slowly, curling his arms around his belly as the bus started to move. He looked out the window, twisting to put one leg on the seat as he leaned up against the window.

The brown things sped past them, faster and faster, and his breath caught in his throat as a break in them appeared. A town spread out before them. He had seen a map in one book, but it was old and the ink had smeared. This was nothing like the map.

Tall towers and something in the sky and just oh so much happening!

He kept his eyes on everything, switching rapidly from one thing to the next, as the bus slowed down near another metal thing. Someone tapped his shoulder and he jumped, twisting around with wide eyes.

It was a purple...slime...person? He blinked up at them and they smiled. “Um, hey!” Oh, it was a girl! He smiled nervously. “H-Hello!”

“Are you like, related to the other skeletons that live in town?”

Other...skeletons? Sans blinked, then shrugged as she sat down next to him. She had on an odd white shirt and funny skirt, and she pulled out something she switched on, tapping at the screen. “I don't...think so. I don't have any relatives.”

The girl nodded, bobbing her head almost. “Oh, that's sad. They're kinda cool. But like, they'd be happy to see you! There ain't a lot of skeleton monsters around no more. There ain't a lot of people around no more.” She shrugged, tapping at her phone.

Sans nodded, crossing his legs on the seat, making sure his sweater was pulled over his knees. “Where are they? Maybe they'd like to be friends!” He blushed softly. Friends. What an amazing thought...

The slime girl snickered. “Probably? I don't hang with them. My girlfriend's uncle does though. He has a restaurant and jazz.”

“...what's a restaurant?”

The slime girl looked at him in confusion, pausing in her tapping. “Um. It's where you eat?? Where have you been the last million years?”

“A house!” He seemed happy with the answer, and she let out a laugh, grinning. “I like you! Hey, here.” She dug into her backpack, dragging out a small piece of paper that she handed to him.

He took it in confusion, 'one free meal' stamped on it with a small edge of ash on the side. “What's this?”

“It's like, free food, dude.” She zipped her backpack back up, tapping again at her phone. “Flaria gave it to me, to make up for me paying for dates and stuff, but like, I don't jive with repaying your dates, dig me?”

Sans shrugged. He didn't know what dig meant. But he kept the piece of paper close in his hands. “Um, thank you! I'm...really hungry.”

“Then you better get off on the next stop, bro, Grillby's is right there.” She pointed, quickly turning back to her screen. He shifted, looking out the window as the bus slowed. 

A large house with the word GRILLBY'S all in orange appeared. A few people at the metal thing were laughing raucously, nudging each other and cracking jokes. Sans got up, squeaking out a thank you to the slime girl once more, before he sped off the bus.

He waved at the driver as he passed. “Thank you for taking me here!”

“Hey you need to pay-!”

He couldn't hear them any more as he stepped onto the odd covering of the ground. It felt hot, so hot it hurt, and it was pitch black. He whined, bouncing on his feet carefully, he didn't want to jostle the baby. He could feel that he had just fell asleep, and he didn't want to disturb them.

As he approached the door, his feet stinging painfully now, a funny monster with feathers?? leaned against the wall near the door, talking on the screen thing the slime girl had. “Yeah I'll be home soon, yeah I promise. Yeah, yeah...hey um, I gotta go. No, no, it's just, I'll tell you later.” 

Sans was entranced with the door for a moment. It was red! It was pretty. The feather monster put his screen away, looking at Sans in concern. “Hey dude, you alright? Need anything?”

Sans shook his head, holding up his piece of paper with pride. “I have a meal!”

“Dude, that's not what I'm worried about.” The feather monster shook his head, opening the door for Sans. “Here, get inside, someone after you? Got anyone you can call?”

Sans shivered as he stepped into the restaurant. Did the feather monster know about Gaster? Was he on his way here? He shook a bit, sinking into his sweater a bit. “I-I'm fine, it's okay, I just...want a meal and I'll um, find a home!”

The feather monster looked very concerned then, making a face then smiled at Sans. “Hey, alright, cool. Hey lemme help you up to the bar so you can get your meal, okay?”

Sans perked up, quickly nodding. He had nothing to worry about, it was obvious! Gaster was...long, long gone. He hoped. He looked around finally as the feather monster started to lead him. There were several wooden tables stacked with monsters and humans alike, several fluffy ones in robes and armors playing with funny squares. 

It was warm, and cozy on the inside. Someone was near a bright machine with flashing lights, and whenever the noise quieted, they would smack it, and the noise would pop back on.

What a lovely place!

Sans followed the feather monster happily, hesitating at the stools. They were, maybe, a few inches shorter than him. Curse his short stature. He slowly pulled himself up, careful of the baby and he sat down with a sigh, swinging his legs.

The feather monster looked at him, frowning as a literal walking fire in a funny suit came over. He crackled, looking at the feather monster.

“You should uh, probably call the skele bros. Like, they're related, right?” the feather monster mumbled. The fire shrugged, then looked at Sans.

“Hello,” he breathed, a puff of smoke popping out. Sans grinned widely. “Hello! That was neat. Oh!” He slowly put the paper on the table, smoothing it down a bit after crumpling when he was scared by the feather monster. “I-I got this!”

The fire monster took it gently, picking it up from the bar. He stared at Sans, nodded with a smile that flickered over his face, then at the feather monster. “I'll get them.”

The feather monster sighed as the fire man went through a set of doors, and he patted Sans' shoulder. “Grillby will take care of ya, dude. You just sit tight.”

Sans nodded, plucking at his sweater again. “I will! I really want my meal.”

The feather monster laughed, getting back off the stool. “Yeah I hear that, the meals here are the best. Good luck, skeleton man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, we wait, for some skeleton funsies ^w^ what would you do if you already knew about your clones but found another clone of you, like, that'd be messed up right?
> 
> Maybe.


	10. Hello, Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans...Red, meets a duplicate! But, honestly, he's just too tired and full of burger to really care right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had a Grillby meal, you betcha if I met my clone I'd be like 'hey boo' and keep eating, like, that food looks DELISH.

When the meal came, Sans had gotten a little bored waiting. He drew his legs up, tucking his sweater around them to cover up. He missed his blanket, just a little. He perked up, seeing Grillby again as Grillby set the plate in front of him. He frowned, tilting his head. “What's that?”

Grillby pointed. “Hamburger. Fries.” He held up a yellow bottle. “...this is...mustard. You strike me...as someone who would like it.”

Sans nodded slowly, wiggling his arms into his sleeves, reaching for the bottle. He upturned it, putting a little on the side to dip the fries in. He'd had finger foods before, albeit usually it was apples with caramel...he tipped the bottle back up, making a face when a bit landed on his finger.

He put the bottle down, licking his finger and perking up. “That's delicious!” He plucked up a fry, dipping it and chomping it quickly. It was good, and he could feel the healing magic that laid behind it. Gaster wasn't the best with that type of magic, and Sans could only give a little. But this was amazing, warming him up from the inside out! “This is so good! You're a very good cook!”

Grillby seemed to puff a laugh again, giving him a nod. “Stay here...eat up...I need to...tend to customers.”

Sans had already started on the hamburger, slowly chewing as he gave Grillby a nod. He could die happy now. Not really, but he knew what he meant. He could feel the little baby wheeling around again excitedly, and although the nap had been interrupted, he didn't seem upset by it. Sans wiggled his feet on the rung of the stool, bouncing to the beat of the noise from the brightly lit machine to the side.

He could hear the door open every so often, people chattering around him. It was...nice...kind of? He still felt a bit nervous, like he should jump up and rush out the door, but at the same time the voices were...a welcome reprieve from the silence he had grown up with. It wasn't just him here. Nor was it just another person. It was many people, all of them having fun or eating as well!

He was warm...and full...and so, so tired. He hid a yawn, his head bobbing as he tried to keep awake, he had a bite left of the burger and he wanted to finish it soooo baaad. It was sooo goood. He chewed it slowly, sleepily staring ahead at his plate.

He heard the crackling fire of Grillby appear, and then someone take a seat next to him. He yawned again, tilting his head up. “ 'm sorry, mister, I'm just real tired, I guess. It's really delicious!”

Grillby let out another poof of smoke, and the person near him chuckled. “Glad ya like his cooking there. Nice ta meet ya, buddy.” 

Sans nodded sleepily, his head bobbing again as he finished off the burger, gulping it down. “Nice to meet...you...too...”

He had turned, knowing how Gaster hated when he looked away from him when he talked, and he was shocked to see another skeleton! Who looked like him! Or..he looked like the other skeleton?? But the other one wore a blue jacket and funny black pants...and very fluffy shoes!

Sans...was a bit jealous. He wanted fluffy shoes. ...maybe he was more tired than he thought.

The other skeleton held his hand out, winking at him. “Name's Sans, Sans the skeleton, and you?”

Sans frowned, reaching out to take his hand. “ 'm also Sans! Well-” He was cut off by a spurting noise and he jumped, yanking his hand away with wide eyes.

The other Sans held up his hand, showing off a pink rubbery cushion. “Hey, I'm sorry! It's a joke, just to uh, lighten things up?”

“...what's a joke?”

The other Sans sighed loudly. “oh boy. Anyway, Sans 2. You uh, got a nickname? Maybe?”

Sans smiled. “My experiment name is R4D, or sometimes Red when someone didn't want to read the file.”

The other Sans stared at him a moment, his eyes flicking from Red's face and down then back up again. Then his grin grew, nodding. “Cool, I'll call ya Red then. You uh, finished eating, bud? Ya look like you're about to take a well-deserved nap on Grillby's counter. And he wasn't 'count'-ing on that.”

Sans seemed to chuckle at his own pun while Red nodded, quickly eating one last fry as he rubbed at his eye with the other hand. “I just have to find a house...I need to sleep.”

Sans chuckled. “I bet you've traveled pretty far, huh, bud? Hey, how's about this. I'll take ya to my home, you can nap, and tell me about where ya came from. How's that?”

Red frowned, sinking into himself again, his leg jostling nervously against the bar of the stool. “Um, you won't send me back, will you? Or go tell him I left? I can't go back, I can't-” he started breathing faster, his eyes getting wide as he hugged himself.

Sans' eyes widened as well, and he reached out, gripping Red's shoulder. “Hey, hey, no way. I'm just curious, is all. Ain't every day a new skeleton pops into view. And you look like you need a really long nap, okay?”

Red wheezed a bit, leaning over his arms as he shook, nodding his head quickly. Maybe this other Sans was like Gaster, but kinder? If Red told him, maybe he'd be nice when he did things to him. Maybe. 

If not, well, he broke out before. He could do it again! Especially considering that he highly doubted this other skeleton could over take him. Even pregnant, Red knew if he pushed Sans, he'd at least fall over...then Red could run!

So, he agreed to going with Sans, still shaking a little and sniffling as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “O-Okay...where do we go?”

Sans smiled at him gently, patting his shoulder. “Here, get down and uh, follow me. I know a shortcut.” He winked. Red blinked, then nodded. What was a shortcut? He didn't ask this time, squirming off the stool and standing beside it as Sans hopped down, looking at Red's feet as the chain clinked on the ground. “Uh. Bud. You uh, feeling alright?”

“Sleepy,” Red yawned, huffing a little. Sans promised he could nap, and he really needed it, for himself and the baby!

Sans nodded slowly. “You uh, sure you can walk...”

Red huffed, crossing his arms. “Yes, I walked here! It was easy.” Although, his feet did feel stiff, but the small bump of his belly ensured he couldn't see anything but the tips of his toes if he peeked down. He would have to wiggle in an odd position to look at his feet, and he wasn't feeling up for that.

Sans just gave him an oddly concerned look, sighing again. “Alright. C'mon, here.” He held out his elbow and Red blinked, before latching on to him with both hands. He and Sans were near the same height, Sans only an inch or two taller.

Sans walked them through the restaurant slowly, although Red appreciated it at first, he was a little antsy by the time they made it to the door. Sans was taking too long, and Red felt like just curling up right there and falling asleep.

He did it before, in the hall once, when he thought his mattress was too far for a good nap. It was a little more comfier than his mattress, too.

Sans grinned at him. “Alright, close yer eyes.” Red frowned, but did so, clutching tightly onto Sans.

Sans took a step, and then it was like they were spinning around and around and around...Red felt like yelling at the tight feeling in his chest...and then it ended and he could feel a different kind of warmth than the restaurant, and someone else talking.

He opened his eyes, swaying in place as he stared at Sans who winked at him. “Shortcut. So, c'mon, I promised a nap so long as you promised a story.”

Someone around the corner said something, and before Sans could answer, Red had grabbed a funny looking pot and tossed up his magic, coughing. Someone shouted Sans' name, asking what was going on, and Sans cleared his throat, gently rubbing Red's back. “Uh, just, hang on, bro. Got a uh, visitor. He ain't feeling too hot.”

Red whined, hugging the pot tightly as he shuddered. He coughed again, but it seemed his stomach settled quickly, and he leaned back, giving Sans a betrayed look. “You made me sick! What was that? It wasn't fun at all!”

Sans snorted. “Oh, that was a shortcut. Sorry , I uh, thought you knew 'em. Didn't think ya would get sick.”

Red glared at him for a moment, sniffling as he wiped his sleeve across his face. “You could've warned me,” he mumbled and Sans nodded. “I could've. Sorry. C'mon, let's get ya to the couch, okay?”

Red nodded, letting Sans help him up, even though Sans kept staring at his legs. Sans led him through the small entrance, rounding a corner to a living room. It wasn't as big as Gaster's living room. All that had had was a couch, a bookshelf, and a rug. It felt massive.

But Sans' home had a couch, two big funny chairs, a giant screen-it was a TV! Red remembered that!-and a sock on the ground...? He blinked, jumping against Sans as he heard someone behind them. “BROTHER, YOU STILL HAVEN'T ANS-OH! HELLO THERE.” Red turned around slowly, looking up and up and up...at first, he thought it was Gaster again, having found him, and his knees shook together before he realized the shape of the skull was wrong, and the other was...loud. Very loud.

Sans chuckled, holding Red up. “Sorry bro, our guest is kinda tired, he needs a snooze fest.” The brother put his hands on his hips, nodding. “NYEH, HE LOOKS VERY TIRED! BUT HELLO, GUEST! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” He struck a pose and Red hid a giggle, smiling.

“I'm Red! Or Sans...too?” 

Papyrus gasped, clasping his gloved hands to his face. His whole outfit was...kinda funny. It was like armor? But with a funny apron on that said 'DON'T kiss the cook'. “OH MY! REALLY??? HOW WONDERFUL! OH YOU'LL LOVE OUR FRIENDS BUT EVERYONE'S AT WORK RIGHT NOW, I WOULD BUT TODAY IS MY DAY OFF..” he started talking on and on, and while he was quite loud, Red found himself drifting off a bit, head bobbing along with Papyrus' speech.

Sans interrupted his brother at the end of a long speech, “gonna drop him off at Couch Island, bro. He needs some rest, and ah, maybe a bit of healing.”

“OH! OF COURSE, HOW RUDE OF ME! YOU GO AND REST, DEAR RED, AND I SHALL MAKE SOME DELICIOUS SPAGHETTI!” and off he went back into...the kitchen? Probably.

Red nodded again, and Sans turned them back to the living room, helping Red to the couch. He grabbed an odd bright yellow pillow and a dark purple blanket. Red sunk onto the couch, leaning against the arm of it for a moment before Sans helped put the pillow under his head, wrapping the blanket around him. He stared down at Red's feet again, concern written on his face. “You rest up, bud. That's gonna take some healin' and it'll probably hurt a little,” he muttered.

He snapped his fingers, grinning. “Ah, be right back.” He disappeared suddenly and Red jumped, staring at where Sans had been. He squirmed, peeking over his blankets to see what was so wrong with his feet.

Both of them were icy, he could tell as he could barely move them, and they were filthy. Covered in dirt and a few sticks, and some cuts from rocks and twigs. Nothing hurt though, he barely felt it.

That was bad, probably. He was too tired to figure it out. Sans appeared again, this time with a pair of fuzzy socks and a basin of water along with some bandages. “Heh, you go on to sleep, bud, we'll get ya melted in no time.” 

He winked, and Red smiled back, already drifting off to sleep. The light was still bright out, but all the excitement had drained him. He definitely wasn't going to sleep well tonight, but that was a concern for later, he thought, as finally sleep engulfed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's feet are frost bit and burned from the pavement and dirty, but like. He's just high on the feeling of a good meal rn so his ability to feel anything has been yeeted out the window
> 
> There will be regret for the next day.
> 
> However! Next chapter...will be focusing a bit on Sans and Papyrus' side of things as Red sleeps :)


	11. Sans, and Sans, and Sans...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red sleeps.
> 
> Sans updates everyone on what's going on.
> 
> Sans learns something, and slowly connects some awkward puzzle pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would've been longer but I had to stop it somewhere, everybody haha
> 
> Not to worry, next chapter will be *interesting*

With the barrier breaking, and the monsters heading to the surface, Sans didn't think he'd see anything more amazing, honestly.

Then he and Papyrus dragged most of their stuff up to the surface, and the machine that had never, ever worked, kicked on without a fuss. This led to some interesting findings.

There were many, many different universes. Some where they didn't know each other, some where they were actually humans...there were so many different kinds! Papyrus was the most excited to meet his alternate selves, or the close approximate in the Swaps' case.

It wasn't too long after the machine had turned on that they had found Underswap. Everything was switched around, and the Sans there-Blue-had the riproaring energy that Papyrus contained. Meanwhile the Papyrus-Stretch, or Papy if it was Blue or someone was teasing him-was more laid back like Sans.

Despite their attachment to their own universe, they visited the Classic one several times, Blue bringing tacos and Stretch bringing bad jokes. Sans' human had promised never to reset...but the Underswap human had made no such promise.

After a few months of not seeing their friends, Stretch appeared with Blue, who was quiet and sad, with a few of their things, asking to camp out with them for awhile.

They just, you know, never left. 

Then Papyrus started using his date book on Blue, and Blue eagerly got dressed up in more and more outrageous clothing, while Stretch and Sans hung out and watched TV and sometimes cuddled, you know?

Then it changed even more, considering, well, Sans and Papyrus had been much closer than brothers from before breaking out onto the surface. As was Stretch and Blue, unsurprisingly. So, they went with it, it was a thing, they were a thing, and it just didn't have a name to it, is all.

And then, the machine activated, spitting out a Sans who threatened them with a sharp bone sword and a Papyrus who cowered away from them all.

Their universe had been left awash in a sea of dust, not all of it from the human.

So, they just..you know, accepted them. BB and Cinnamon, or Mutt as BB called him, or Puppy as Blue would call him.

They took quite a long time before they were eased into this 'soft' life. Cinnamon loved it. BB still held himself up high, but gave in to helping Blue pick out a 'cute' outfit or helping Papyrus cook.

All that to say, it had been quite a bit of time before something new had happened. Such as another Sans appearing, half naked, with a cuff on his ankle and his feet nearly frozen to death.

Said Sans-Red-was asleep under the blankets, snoring softly as Sans took a cloth in the warm water, dragging it over the chilled feet with a wince. It at least cleaned them off, but they felt like that time he fell into Snowdin's river as a child. He shuddered even recalling that memory.

He sighed, swishing the washcloth in the warm water, before binding both the feet in the washcloth to try and defrost them. That should work, right? Right.

He left Red to his dreams, shuffling into the kitchen with his hands in his hoodie pocket, watching Papyrus eagerly stirring a pot of spaghetti. He had gotten so much better now that he had people helping him cook and willing to test his food creations.

“hey, bro.”

Papyrus jumped, tilting his head back to look at Sans as he continued to stir. “SANS! HOW IS OUR GUEST? IS HE TIRED? WHERE DID HE COME FROM? HE MUST HAVE WALKED VERY FAR!”

Sans shrugged, climbing up into a chair as he leaned on one hand, tapping the other on the table. “Dunno yet. Yeah, his feet look awful.” He hummed, looking over at Papyrus. “When are the others coming back, again?”

“OH YOU KNOW THEM, THEY LIKE TO EXPLORE A LITTLE EVERY SO OFTEN! I THINK CINNAMON WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE HE'D BE HOME BY THREE HOWEVER, HE WASN'T FEELING WELL EITHER.” He frowned, tilting his head over the pot of spaghetti.

Sans chuckled. “ah, that's right. Whelp, they're gonna have a surprise, at least.”

“SANS, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST TEXT THEM, SO THEY WILL NOT BE ALARMED ENTERING THE HOUSE!”

Sans nodded lazily. “You're right, bro, as always. Heh.” He tugged out his phone, bringing up the group text.

Sans: got a guest, be quiet comin' home. 

It should be no surprise that BB and Blue both texted back at the same time.

BB: WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DO YOU MEAN A GUEST?

Blue: A GUEST?! OH WOWIE!! DO THEY LIKE TACOS?!

And then

Blue: BB! THAT'S RUDE! D:

Sans snorted, chuckling as Blue berated BB over text for his 'foul language'. True to form, Stretch sent a thumbs up emoji. If it wasn't gifs, he used emojis.

Cinnamon sent 'k'. He didn't text as much as one would believe, surprisingly. He was more into playing weird match games. 

Sans set his phone down as it buzzed with Blue and BB's back and forth argument, then them demanding Sans to answer who was the guest.

Sans had fallen asleep, snoring on the table as Papyrus stirred the pasta vigorously, humming loudly to some tune he had heard on the radio.

It didn't take long for the door to open. Sans tensed a bit, waiting a moment. By the slow way it opened, it had to be Cinnamon. He didn't take shortcuts as often as Sans and Stretch liked to do. A thump of shoes being taken off, shuffling, a pause, then more shuffling to the kitchen.

Cinnamon was tall, not as tall as Papyrus, perhaps an inch shorter, but he slumped like Stretch did so none of them knew who was the tallest. He had a leather jacket with a fuzzy hood, a gold fang where he had tripped and smacked into a rock as a kid, and his collar that BB had put on him. 

He looked like shit, if Sans was honest. His skull looked a bit grey, and he looked exhausted, yawning as he took a seat at the table, slumping onto his arms. “uuuughhh. One of the others had the flu,” he grumbled into his arms.

Human diseases didn't affect them the same way. Mostly it was a magic drain, feeling crappy for a week, and then they were better. Sans patted Cinnamon's elbow in comfort, nodding. “That's flu bad, Cinnabon.” He winked as Cinnamon groaned louder, laughing as Papyrus huffed, turning to point his spoon at Sans. “SANS, NO PUNS AT SICK SKELETONS! CINNAMON! DO YOU NEED SOUP??”

Cinnamon grumbled into his arms, shaking his head. “Spaghetti's fine...” He tilted his head up, still pillowing it in his arms. “Who's the Sans on the couch?”

“oh uh, that's Red. Not sure what universe he's from. Grillby said Red Bird had gotten him to come in and eat. He's hurt his feet and stuff, and got some weird cuff thing on his ankle.” He shrugged.

Cinnamon hummed, stretching it out before nuzzling into his arms again with a sigh. “Sounds like a rough one then. He was asleep when I checked.”

“He's just got a sweater on too. I think. Unless it's really short shorts.” Sans shrugged. “We'll have ta get some of Blue's clothes, I think they'd fit.”

Cinnamon nodded, mumbling as Papyrus happily served them the spaghetti, dragging himself up to grab the bowl and drag it into the cavern of arms and skull, nearly planting his face into the bowl as he started to eat.

Poor Cinnamon. Normally he'd be curiously peeking in on anything new, but he really just didn't feel like it today, did he? Sans chuckled, shaking his head as he dug in to his own bowl. BB was going to make him go to bed the moment he got home. Nothing like a slightly murderous mothering from him.

The door banged open-ah there they were-but he could hear some fierce whispering...well 'whispering' from Blue as BB stomped in, grumbling as he tossed his shoes off once he was in the house. He used to wear the tall heels inside all the time, until Blue put a stop to it by showing him how the dirt from the outside came in.

Sans assumed Blue just didn't want to feel like the shortest around, honestly. But taking his shoes off before coming home was pretty nice, even if he did wear slippers constantly.

Sans looked over at the open doorway, grinning as BB stood with his hands on his hips. “WHO IS THAT-”

Blue barreled into him, squealing as he nearly knocked BB over. “HE LOOKS SO NICE!! IS HE STAYING, PAPYRUS, WE SHOULD MAKE HIM SPAGHETTI TACOS! HE NEEDS A ROOM AND...!”

Sans chuckled. “Whoa there, Blueberry. We don't even know if he even meant to leave his universe yet, a'ight?”

Blue pouted, huffing as BB rolled his eyes, stomping to a chair as he pulled it out using his foot, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other. “WELL, WE CAN'T DECIDE ANYTHING UNTIL STRETCH COMES HOME. WHERE IS HE?”

Blue hurried to the chair on the other side of Sans, climbing up into it with stars in his eyes. “PAPY WAS DOING THE TOUR AT THE MUSEUM REMEMBER? HE'LL BE BACK IN AN HOUR! THIS IS SO EXCITING!”

Sans nodded, standing up and stretching. “Sure is. Well, don't 'stretch' the conversation, I gotta go check on him, make sure everything's peachy keen.”

Papyrus gave him a suspicious look and Sans held up a peach, tossing it at Cinnamon as he left to Cinnamon's snickering and the other three groaning.

Where did he get a peach? It is a mystery.

He shuffled away from the increasingly loud conversation, bouncing from BB and Blue's day out to Cinnamon's work, to the new guest. Sans shuffled back into the living room, jumping a bit at seeing Red sitting up, still curled up into the blanket, looking blankly at the wall.

Sans raised a hand. “Uh, hey, kid..you uh, okay there?”

Red's head whipped around, and he blinked, then smiled brightly. “Hello, Sans! I'm okay. I'm just sitting.”

Sans and Stretch sat a lot. They'd talk or make out or play video games. But looking at the wall or the blank TV for possibly...ten..minutes? Wasn't Sans' idea of a good time. 

Sans nodded slowly, shuffling over with his houseshoes making a scruffing noise on the carpet. “Well uh, that's fine. You feeling alright? How's the toots, toots?” 

He winked and Red stared at him. “...what?”

“Your uh, feet, bud. Sorry, heh, I'll chill with the puns.” Heh. Chill. 

Red perked up, shifting as he pulled the blanket up a bit. The washcloth had come undone, but it seemed Red had kept it pressed to his feet. “They feel a bit better! They kinda hurt, a little, and sting a bit, but they don't feel numb like they did earlier!”

Sans chuckled. “Good ta hear, kid. Sooo...wanna tell me about yourself?”

Red shrugged. “Okay!...what do I tell?”

Sans hummed, cupping his chin as he thought. “How's about your family? Or where did ya live? You got a brother?”

Red blinked. “What's a brother? I lived in a house! It was big, and I would walk around it all day.”

Sans nodded, walking over to one of the plush chairs and sinking into it as they talked. This sounded like a very long conversation to start. “Cool, cool. A brother is...someone who's related to you.” At Red's blank look he chuckled. “How about this, who did you live with?”

“Dr. Gaster.”

Sans felt like he'd gotten punched in the gut. No one ever remembered Gaster. Some of the Sans, and Sans-adjacent, remembered him, before he fell in the core. But the Papyri never recalled him, unless they were told about him. To have someone who lived with the doctor, even in an alternate universe...was...

Unsettling.

And he couldn't figure out why.

Sans gulped, knowing he was sweating a bit as he laughed nervously, rubbing his cheek. “Ya did, huh? Um, good? I think?”

“Not really. He was mean.” Red said offhandedly, adjusting his blanket back around him and leaning on the yellow pillow.

“Oh.” Sans gulped. This was turning...weird, definitely. “Do you wanna talk about him?”

Red looked like he was thinking, for a bit, then slowly shook his head. “No. Do I have to?”

“nah, you're alright, kid.” He chuckled. But it was definitely something they'd have to return to. “How about how ya got here?”

“Oh!” Red perked up, nearly bouncing on the couch. “I got the chain cut, and then I opened the door and went out into the whiteness, and then, I saw someone!! And I thought it was him??? So I got scared and I ran to the other home in the back! It was like the lab, and it was a little scary too, and cold...”

...what...

“Then um, then, then there was this thing, and it could take me somewhere...safe! I hoped. So I fixed it!”

...what??

Red grinned at him brightly, as if he wasn't making Sans more and more confused and concerned. “Then I blew it up so he wouldn't follow me! Then I was here. Well. In the green place. A bus took me here!”

Sans...had no idea what to say to all that. So instead, he smiled, and nodded. “Neat. Well. You uh, rest, and I'll go see my pals and maybe they'll come visit, kay?”

Red squeaked, holding his blanket up to his chin with wide eyes. “Are they nice?”

“The nicest.”

“Yay!” Red wiggled in place, nodding. “okay! Come back soon.”

Sans got up, giving Red a thumbs up as he sauntered out into the hall. The biggest thing he was hooked on was: Red was chained in his home, and lived with Gaster. 

Both of those together made for a slowly horrifying picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: :D
> 
> Sans :(


	12. Story Time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers gather up for story time, which spirals into a horrible revelation that some were prepared but not wanting to acknowledge.
> 
> It's also bath time!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Cinnamon. He's so sick. Idk why I made him sick. But I did.

“You remember Gaster, right?”

Sans was back in the kitchen, Papyrus and the other two berries were at the sink, Blue was busy stirring a pudding for dessert while the other two washed dishes. Papyrus sang loudly to the radio, so Sans didn't have to worry about them hearing.

Cinnamon grunted, sipping his water slowly before looking at Sans. “Uh, yeah, a little.”

Sans shifted in his seat, fingers tapping at the table. “How was he? Or, what was he like that you can remember?”

Cinnamon took another sip, as if rolling the words through his mind before answering, putting his cup back down. “Well uh. I mean he was insane, like, awful. He'd call us names and stuff. But uh, he was also the guy who took me to get my tooth fixed and damn near cried after BB got out of stripes.” He scratched at his cheek slowly. “Ya forget that we had a lot going back on in our universe, so ya always had like, two or three masks at a time.”

Sans nodded. That made sense. They weren't from the best of timelines, but Gaster still remained what he recalled: a slightly aloof parent/creator who had spurts of caring. 

His eyes trailed over to Blue, tilting his head. “What do ya think theirs was like?”

Cinnamon snorted, coughing a bit. “An absolute menace to society, that's what.”

Sans and him giggled together for a moment, a sound of a pop echoing near the door, shoes plopping off indicating Stretch was home.

Just like Cinnamon, he seemed to pause near the living room, then shuffled his way into the kitchen, chewing on a dum dum. “Heya.”

Blue squeaked, tilting his head back. “HIIII PAPY! WE HAVE A GUEST! DID YOU SEE???”

Stretch's head bobbed in agreement, stealing BB's seat as he plopped down, leaning his head back. “I did, bro. Gonna make tacos?”

“YES!”

With that Blue returned to his stirring and Stretch lazily looked over at Sans, wiggling his brow bone. “Sup?”

Sans snorted. “Sup. Hey. What was Gaster like to you guys?”

Stretch blinked, eye sockets furrowing for a moment then clearing up .”Ooooh yeah, sorry, I had to uh, remember his real name.”

Cinnamon snorted. “Real name?”

Stretch tugged the dum dum from his mouth, waving it as he pointed it at Cinnamon. “Hey, he was our River Person that you guys had. Everyone called him River Person so we just, kind of, forgot sometimes.” He tossed his dum dum back into his mouth as Sans nodded.

“So? What was he like?”

“Remember that alien show we watched with the dad who yelled 'science' a lot and stood on tables? Times that by twenty but with a baby bones attached to his chest.” He chuckled. “He loved science, but he got hurt before we were born so he worked as the River Person to make money.”

Cinnamon grunted in agreement and Sans hummed. “So uh, what happened?”

Stretch sucked on his sucker for a moment, then sighed. “Well, they had some kinda emergency, and they called him in because he technically made the Core. Then. Well. Same as all of 'em. He fell in, no one remembered him.” He nodded at Blue who was busy dancing a bit to the tune of the radio, giggling with Papyrus. “Blue was like...three when it happened, so it didn't really wipe any memories, he just doesn't remember him at all. Sucked, but eh, I think we made out alright.”

Cinnamon gave a thumbs up as Sans chuckled. “Fair.”

“Why ya asking?” Stretch grinned, taking his sucker out again to point at Sans. “Gonna ask him for our hand in marriage? That's so old-fashioned, old man.”

Cinnamon shook with laughter as he laid his head back down, not eager to contribute but happy to listen in. Sans sputtered, blushing before he tossed a napkin at Stretch. “Shut up.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “No uh. Our guest lived, or was living with, Gaster. And he was like, chained up? I think?” He rubbed at his face with a groan. “He still has a chain on him but I figured BB could you know, cut it off.”

Stretch frowned, sticking his sucker back in his mouth. “Don't sound like the doc's usual go to, no. But uh, well, it's an alt verse, yeah? So things are different.”

Sans nodded, about to answer before Papyrus interrupted them, holding a small bowl of the pudding. “WE ARE FINISHED! OUR GUEST NEEDS TO EAT!” he grabbed up a bowl of spaghetti to go with the pudding as him and Blue struck a pose. BB just continued to scowl, but took a bite of his own pudding, softening the look on his face.

Cinnamon yawned, dragging himself up. “Um, should I go too? Don't wanna get the dude sick.”

“NO, GO UPSTAIRS AND GO TO BED, MUTT,” BB grumbled as the others started to walk, heading over and nudging Cinnamon's side. “NO ONE NEEDS YOUR GERMS.”

“Love ya too, bro,” he gave a lazy wave as he shuffled up the stairs slowly. BB blushed, huffing as he looked away from the others who teased him lightly, laughing as they headed to the living room with the bowls of food. Normally they ate at the table, but Blue and Papyrus made allowances for guests when they stayed over.

Sans and Stretch would eat on the couch, any time, except when BB would smack their legs from being on the coffee table. Mean.

Red was in the same spot, staring off into the wall once more. BB paused, shooting Sans a look that Sans knew to take as 'WHAT IN THE FRESH HELL'. He'd heard BB say it waaaay too many times.

Blue and Papyrus, however, didn't notice as they quickly headed to their guest, striking a pose in front of him. “MWEH! IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU, RED!”

“YES! YOU GET THE HONOR OF TASTING THE GREATEST SPAGHETTI AND PUDDING IN THE WORLD!”

Blue and Papyrus held their pose, and Red blinked up at them, giggling a bit. “Really? I haven't had pudding. What's it like?”

Blue quickly pushed the bowl of the white pudding into Red's arms while Papyrus set the plate next to Red carefully. “HERE! TRY IT! IT'LL BE DELICIOUS!”

Red nodded, staring down at the bowl as the others took their usual spots. Sans and Stretch squished themselves into the armchair, Sans' legs tossed over Stretch's lap. BB took the other armchair, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, cutting an intimidating figure if no one knew him.

Papyrus eagerly sat near the coffee table, crossing his legs as he dug into his food. Blue wiggled in place. “RED? MAY I SIT NEXT TO YOU? IS THAT OKAY?”

Red nodded, shifting to tug his blanket in tighter. “Of course! It's your home after all!”

Blue scrambled up onto the couch, balancing his plate in his lap as he grinned at Red brightly. “THANK YOU! SO...WHAT DO YOU LIKE? DO YOU LIKE TACOS? HAVE YOU EVER WENT SKIING?” He chirped out, bouncing in place. Red just stared at him, slowly bringing up a spoon of pudding to eat as he just let Blue talk.

Sans snorted, taking a bite of spaghetti. “Berry, I don't think he's done all that. Plus, he's probably still tired after everything, yeah?”

He winked, but Red shrugged. “No, I had the nap, but normally I don't go to bed until...after...the lights go out!”

BB's eyes narrowed as he delicately ate, not a spot of sauce dripping on him. “THE LIGHTS?”

“The house lights!” Red swung his leg down from under the covers, letting it dangle as he bounced it from boredom. “When Doctor Gaster comes home and cuts the lights out, I'm to be in bed.”

BB seemed to be glaring at Red, and Sans exchanged a look with Stretch who shrugged in return. Sans looked back at Red, giving a nervous laugh. “Hey uh, why dontcha tell us about yourself? Give us a few cool stories or something?”

Red shifted and tucked the blanket around him, making sure it covered his belly as he patted it gently. Sans looked at Stretch again who shrugged again. Red picked up his bowl again, digging in. “I dunno what to tell, I've never talked to anyone before.”

Blue gasped, eyes wide as he had both hands on his own cheeks. “NO ONE? EVER? WHY NOT? WE'LL TALK TO YOU! YOU'RE NICE!”

Red giggled, smiling brightly at Blue. “You're nice too! But um, it's because I'm just an experiment!”

Blue cocked his head as Papyrus frowned. “BUT, YOU'RE TALKING AND MOVING. THAT MAKES YOU A MONSTER!”

“I was made though, I wasn't really supposed to be this way.”

BB made a tutting noise, flexing his foot as he took another slow bite. “HERE, RED. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU WERE MADE FOR, PERHAPS?”

Red nodded, his jaw was smeared with a bit of the pudding and sauce as he kept going back and forth between plates. He used his sleeve to wipe at it and BB grimaced. Manners, honestly...

“Mm, yeah, Gaster never said it was...a secret. He wanted to break the Barrier and so he made a weapon. But.” He frowned, looking down at his lap for a moment. “I came out all wrong and weak and stupid. So he wasn't allowed to do it again.”

Papyrus and Blue seemed very concerned while the other three tensed. That didn't sound too out of the ordinary for the (insane) doctor, but there was more to it.

Papyrus tilted his head, he had leaned up to pat Red's knee under the blanket. “HE DIDN'T MAKE TWO? USUALLY THERE'S UM, A ME! TO GO WITH.”

Red shook his head. “It was just me and him.” 

Sans nodded. “Huh. Weird. So...what..happened? He uh, keep you around as his assistant?” He chuckled nervously.

Red shook his head, patting Papyrus' hand in return, intrigued by his mittens. Papyrus let him fiddle with the glove as Red answered, “No, I'm too stupid for that. But he didn't want to destroy me either because he spent a long time making me, so he took me to his home from the Labs.”

BB snorted. “OF COURSE HE DID. HE THINKS HIGHLY OF HIMSELF TO THE POINT THAT HE NEVER SEES THE ERROR OF HIS WAYS.”

Sans and Stretch shot him a look-that wasn't the best thing to say in the moment-but Red nodded. “Oh, yeah, even if it's burned toast he doesn't admit it tastes bad.” He winced, sticking his tongue out. “But it's gross to me.”

Papyrus nodded. “BURNED TOAST IS NO ONE'S FAVORITE!”

Stretch cleared his throat, looking at Red around Sans' head. “So...what'd you do all day then?”

Red shrugged, wiggling his leg with the chain on it. “I couldn't go anywhere, so I walked around the house a lot. I read the books, but it was boring after a few years. I ate, but I had to make sure not to eat too much or we wouldn't have anything for a while and he'd be mad...so...I just...sat around,” he mumbled, realizing how pitiful that sounded, picking at the edge of the plate. 

Blue patted his shoulder gently. “IT'S OKAY! WE CAN FIND YOU NEW THINGS TO DO NOW! AND NOT STAY IN ALL THE TIME....HOW DO WE GET THE CHAIN OFF THOUGH? THAT DOESN'T LOOK PLEASANT AT ALL.”

BB sighed, summoning a sharp bone as he got up, slipping the clean plate onto the table. “I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT, IT SHOULD BE EASY FOR ME.”

Papyrus shuffled out of the way to the side of the couch, still letting Red play with his mitten as BB kneeled down, pulling Red's leg up gently, grimacing. “YOUR FOOT STILL FEELS LIKE ICE. YOU NEED A BATH.”

Red perked up. “Oh! Yes, please! I haven't had one...in a while!”

BB muttered something darkly before he slowly wiggled the sharp bone between the chain and Red's ankle. Red sucked in a breath at the spark of magic touching him, shivering a bit. BB started to saw slowly, “KEEP TALKING, IT'S BETTER TO KEEP YOUR MIND OFF OF IT.”

Red nodded, flushing a bit as he looked up, seeing everyone staring at him. “...What was the question again?”

Sans chuckled. “Uh, just...what did Gaster want ya to do, I guess? Unless he just kept ya around.”

“Oh, no, he said he was going to start an army of soldier skeletons.”

The chain snapped at a sharp movement by BB, who stared up at Red with wide eyes. “HE WHAT?!”

Papyrus gasped. “YOUR ANKLE! IT'S..” Red's ankle was perfectly white, showing the dingy dirtiness of the rest of his bones, but at the same time, where the cuff had rested, the bone was very very thin, to the point no one was sure how he was walking.

Red flexed his foot a bit, making a sound. “It feels weird...but..thank you!”

BB stood up, the bone disappearing as he stared at Red. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SKELETON SOLDIERS?”

Stretch piped up, “He probably dealt in cloning, dude, shouldn't be a sur-”

“PAPY, SHUT UP.” BB snapped at him. Stretch stuck his tongue out, not hurt by the sharp words, but he leaned back all the same. BB continued to stare at Red, but he seemed to relax his glare as Red shook under his stare, hiding into his blanket. “RED, WE'RE JUST...CURIOUS, IS ALL. HOW WAS HE TO MAKE THESE SKELETONS?”

Red peeked up over his blanket, teary eyed at the scary sight of BB with his sharp blue eye lights. “Ummm. I was. I had to do it.”

The others seemed to be slack jawed at this information, but BB nodded slowly. “THAT SO? HOW WERE YOU GOING TO DO IT?”

Red perked up, squirming under the blanket and tugging it down a bit. “The baby! The baby is going to be so strong and smart! But I don't want him to fight! At least, now?” The blanket slid down, revealing the small bump under his sweater, which he quickly revealed by yanking it up. Blue and Papyrus blushed and tried to get Red to cover up, squeaking about 'being lewd' as he had no pants on...it was...very apparent.

BB nodded, crossing his arms as he tapped his fingers against his arm. “MM. FIGURED AS MUCH.” He gave Red a very quick smile. “I'M SURE YOUR BABY WILL BE VERY STRONG, RED.”

Red patted his belly softly, cooing down at it. “He will be! I just know it.”

Blue blushed, hopping up and nearly dancing in place. “RED! YOU NEED A BATH A-AND NEW CLOTHES, PAPYRUS, HELP ME!”

Papyrus scrambled up, giving a salute, before turning to Red with open arms. “MAY I PICK YOU UP? IT WILL BE FASTER!”

Red nodded, letting go of the blanket as he hesitantly held up his arms, but Papyrus tucked the blanket around him to keep Red's dignity, blushing again as he and Blue rushed off, chattering about the different types of pajamas Blue had, Red asking all kinds of questions.

Sans let out a sigh, dragging his hands over his face. “Wow. Just. Wow.”

Stretch nodded, crunching the sucker hard before he looked over at BB, who seemed irritated. “How'd you know what he meant?”

BB sniffed, looking at Stretch with a bored look. “THERE WAS ONCE A ROGUE MONSTER THAT HAD THE SAME IDEAL BEFORE WE, THE ROYAL GUARD, DUSTED HIM. HE WANTED TO MAKE 'A DOG ARMY', AND HE DID THAT BY KIDNAPPING PEOPLE AND FORCING HIM TO CARRY HIS SPAWN. HE WAS GOING TO RAISE SAID SPAWN TO BE PERFECT SOLDIERS, TAKE OVER THE KINGDOM, YADDA YADDA.” He turned around, stacking up the plates easily. “THE WORDING STRUCK ME THE SAME. I DON'T BELIEVE RED QUITE UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON, HOWEVER.”

Sans nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “He doesn't know a lot of things. He doesn't shortcut, he doesn't know not to just yank your shirt up for everyone, he just...sat there, staring at the wall until I talked to him” He sighed roughly, plopping his head on Stretch's shoulder. “I guess we're keeping him, huh?”

Stretch was busy crushing the sucker in his mouth, but he gave a thumbs up all the same. BB scoffed, one hand on his hip and the plates in the other. “THAT'S EVEN IF HE WANTS TO STAY. BESIDES THAT, WE'D HAVE TO PREPARE FOR A BABY, TAKE HIM TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, PERHAPS EVEN THERAPY...” His hand crept up, holding his chin as he muttered.

Stretch snorted. “BB's planning. Guess that makes our choice for us.” Sans nodded, sighing. “Wish we knew which universe he came from, we could block it off.” He clapped his hands, pushing off of Stretch who fell to the side of the armchair. “Whelp. Our bros got him for now, let's go fix up the guest bedroom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He just p much flashed everyone in sight, lmao. Also you bet your sweet bippy Papyrus and Blue are gushing about the baby with Red while simultaneously worrying about his mental state since it was the doctor that did it.


	13. Sleepover!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red takes a bath. Red gets pajamas. Red is introduced to the thrilling movie that is Spirited Away.
> 
> Red...sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's just fluff here, just fluff. The next day they'll have a serious talk.

Red hadn't been carried by anyone, least of all Gaster, in...a while. At least, not with the intention of being kind to him. He cuddled up to Papyrus happily as Blue led them to his bedroom. Blue darted to his closet, standing there with his hands on his hips as he looked through the clothes.

Red looked around in the meanwhile. The walls were blue with little stars everywhere, even on the ceiling. Red knew what stars were. He loved stars. The bed had an odd red thing around it...it kind of looked...a little like the bus? But not really?

It was very clean, a chair and a desk in the corner...and a table filled with weird little...skeletons? Maybe? It was hard to tell. Blue whirled around, holding up a pair of pajamas that were bright yellow, a top and pants. “I FOUND SOME! I HOPE THEY FIT!”

Papyrus nodded. “OH, THEY WILL, I'M SURE! IF NOT, I'M SURE THERE'S A NIGHTGOWN AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE.”

Blue grinned, bouncing in place. “YES, OF COURSE! TO THE BATH!” He raced out the door and Papyrus followed, carefully holding Red in his arms with the blanket. Red patted his shoulders, looking at the armor curiously before they entered the bathroom.

Blue had already placed the pajamas on the sink, filling up the tub and adding bubbles. Bubbles helped EVERYONE!

Papyrus slowly set Red down, putting his hands on his hips. “NYEH! TA DA! BUBBLE BATH!”

Red looked between them with wide eyes. “...what's a bubble.”

Blue gasped, pointing at the fluffy bubbles. “THESE ARE! HAVE YOU NEVER HAD A BUBBLE BATH???”

Red shook his head, the blanket falling around him, the sweater rising up a little as he moved his arms. “Nuh uh, I just got in and cleaned up, you know?”

Papyrus nodded. “YES, BUT THAT'S BORING. BUBBLES ARE MORE FUN AND YOU CAN RELAX!”

Red shrugged, then immediately started to strip off his sweater. Papyrus squeaked, shielding his eyes as Blue did the same but held out a towel to Red. “RED! YOU CAN'T J-JUST TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES IN FRONT OF PEOPLE!”

Red had let the sweater fall to the ground, taking the towel in confusion. Blue had slid his hand down to see if he had covered up, only to slap his hand back over his eyes. How lewd!

“Why not? Gaster usually made me. Do I get in now?”

Papyrus and Blue nodded, blushing bright. They waited until they heard the splashing of the water to unshield their eyes. Red had sunk into the water, his face slightly red from the heat, giving a groan as he melted into the heat of the bath. “This is niiiiice.”

Papyrus and Blue nodded, Papyrus clearing his throat. “WELL! THERE'S! SOAP ON THE SIDE! GET SQUEAKY CLEAN, NO BONES ABOUT IT! WE'LL MEET YOU IN THE HALL, OKAY?”

Red nodded almost sleepily, slipping deeper into the water as the two left. He lifted a hand, gently popping a bubble, giggling as he popped a few more. The place that had never grown correctly due to the cuff felt sensitive, but not horribly so. He gently cleaned himself off, using a washcloth, humming a made up tune.

He dipped the washcloth in the water, sweeping it over his belly and cooing at the baby who was just the tiniest bit bigger than he was yesterday. “You're getting so big! Yes you are! Soon you'll be the biggest, ever!!”

After nearly dozing off in the warmth-he really, really loved to be warm, he hated the cold-he slowly dragged himself up and out of the lukewarm bath, the bubbles having popped and just floating on the top of the water. He hugged himself into the towel, wiggling back and forth in the fuzzy feeling. He patted around his belly, soothing the energetic baby a little, before he folded the towel and put it on the sink.

He grabbed the top, nearly dropping it before he managed to pull it on. Unfortunately, it was tight around his belly but he managed to unbutton a few buttons and it worked nice! His breasts didn't even hurt like they did with his sweater! It was very soft.

He paused before leaving the bathroom, heading back to grab the pants with a blush. Right! They said he needed pants! He struggled into them, and they ended up fitting just right. It would have been too long if not for the fact it was snug on his hips, hoisting it up a little.

Perfect! He headed to the door.

Papyrus stepped out into the hall as Blue shut the door, both of them sighing. Blue fiddled with his gloves, looking nervously at the door. “YOU THINK HE'S OKAY?”

“OF COURSE! I-I THINK.” Papyrus frowned, rocking on his heels a bit. “HE SEEMED HAPPY!”

“HE DID! HE DID...” Blue sighed, tugging at his bandanna. “POOR RED. HE LOOKS SO SAD! A LITTLE. WE NEED TO CHEER HIM UP!”

Papyrus nodded, cupping his chin as he thought. Usually, cooking cheered them up, but Red wasn't like any of them, of course. He gasped. “WHAT ABOUT A SLEEPOVER!”

Blue gasped, clapping his hands. “OH HOW DELIGHTFUL! WE CAN MAKE SOME SNACKS, AND SHOW HIM MOVIES, AND THEN MAKE A FORT!”

“AND SLEEP IN THE FORT!” Papyrus shook in excitement as the both of them chattered about their plan. It was so simple! It would cheer anyone up!

Blue sent Papyrus to go and set everything up, since he was taller and could make a better fort. Blue took up guard at the bathroom door, resorting to pacing after a few minutes. It wasn't the fact that Red was taking a while in the bath, he was just...worried in general! Red looked like he hurt all over, and he had a baby! That had to take up some energy. Right?

...Blue resolved to finding out more about babies because all he knew is, they're so cute! So cute.

He was lost in thinking about how cute babies are when the bathroom door opened. Red appeared, dressed in the bright yellow ducky pajamas. The buttons were open at the bottom, dark red magic peeking out from under it. He wasn't very...large, but the small bump was too much for the shirt all the same.

Blue averted his eyes from Red's chest, clearing his throat. “WELL! ARE YOU OKAY? HOW DO YOU FEEL?”

Red smiled, patting his belly. “I feel loads better! I'm all clean now! And the baby is very happy, he kept wiggling.” He giggled. Blue laughed softly, nodding. “OH, THAT'S CUTE! PAPYRUS IS SETTING US UP FOR A SLEEPOVER, SO YOU CAN SPEND TIME WITH US BEFORE BED!”

Red blinked, nodding slowly. Sleep over, he was sleeping over, he supposed. Hm, where would he go tomorrow? Perhaps he could find another home, with more nice people...how did one get a home anyway?

He shrugged mentally, letting Blue lace their arms together, gently pulling Red down the hall and the stairs, chattering about everything they had planned. Red winced as he walked, even through the fuzzy socks he had pulled back on, his feet still felt...sensitive. Weirdly so since they weren't earlier, but then again, they were pretty frozen.

Blue and Red appeared in the doorway to the living room. Papyrus had set up a sheet with chairs to make a fort. Stretch and Sans seemed to be asleep in the armchair, while BB made sure the fort wouldn't come crashing down. He headed to Blue and Red, pecking a kiss to Blue's cheek. “DON'T BE LOUD, AND DO NOT HORSE AROUND WITH RED. SEE YOU IN THE MORNING.” His eyes did trail to see Red's belly, looking away quickly as he headed up the stairs.

Red frowned. “Is he not doing the sleep over too...?”

Blue shook his head, leading Red to the fort, showing him where to sit on the pillow floor. “CINNAMON IS SICK, SO HE'S A LITTLE DISTRACTED. BUT IT'S OKAY! WE'LL HAVE POPCORN AND WATCH MOVIES!”

Red slumped down onto the pillow, crossing his legs and letting his belly be cradled into the space between his legs. “What's a movie? And popcorn...? I think I had that once! It's been a while!”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Movies were AMAZING and the BEST THING EVER!!!! 

Red was still sitting up while Blue laid on his stomach and Papyrus for some reason had twisted to be upside down. Red was entranced, it was some movie about a girl who's parents turned into something called pigs and they ate so much food!!!

He hugged one of the pillows to himself, watching with wide eyes. “Is she going to be okay? She needs her parents, doesn't she?”

Blue nodded, patting Red's knee as he passed the popcorn to him. “NOT TO WORRY! EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT IN THE END!”

Red nodded, clutching the pillow tightly as the movie continued. There was a giant baby and it made him laugh really hard...he didn't know when he had shifted to lay down between the two, laying on his side, his head tilted to keep an eye on the movie.

But between one blink and the next, he quickly fell asleep, softly snoring, his hand cupped around his belly as his other hand hugged onto Papyrus' arm.

(In the morning, Papyrus can't get free. Red had sometime during the night wrapped his entire body around Papyrus' arm, resting his weight on him. Had it been Sans, Papyrus would merely cart him around, but he wasn't sure if him moving would hurt the baby or upset Red. So he had to sleep in, pouting when Red finally stirred at 7 AM, missing his 5 AM jog, but vowing to make it up the next day.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> =)
> 
> Red says the word doctor, and seems okay, but what if he had to go to a check up, I wonder? Don't you?


	14. Things Are Hard For Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red does not like noise. Red does not like being made to stay.
> 
> Red just likes Blue. And BB. And the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, Poor Red. But we love him <3

Red felt...out of sorts the next day. The thrill of yesterday had sunk in, and he loved it, but this morning...

Papyrus had had to gently wake him up so he could go cook, which left him cuddled up nearly with Blue, who really didn't mind. When they finally got up to the smell of pancakes-oh he hoped there was syrup!-Blue eagerly led Red into the kitchen.

Where everyone was. Talking. Constantly. 

BB was chattering to Cinnamon about being better about keeping away from sick people, Cinnamon nodding in agreement, Sans and Stretch punning at each other, Papyrus singing to the radio, and Blue asking Red above the din of the noise if he'd like orange juice or apple.

It just. Got a bit too much.

Blue led the slightly shell-shocked Red to a chair, hopping over to help Papyrus with making more pancakes. Red slowly sunk into his seat, his head pounding with each word each person spoke. It was way, way too much. Normally it was just him, or just Gaster, who barely talked to him in the first place.

Red was the one to fill the quiet of the room, but not like this.

Red sucked in a breath when he felt a touch to his shoulder, looking over quickly with a jump. Sans frowned. “You alright there, pal? You're a bit pale, heh, paler than normal, I suppose.”

Red slowly shook his head as he sunk farther into the chair, Sans' hand slipping off his shoulder as he slid off the chair and under the table, curling up into a ball and whining, rocking in place as he held his hands over his head.

They quietened down a bit, the radio was still blaring and Papyrus didn't seem to know what was going on as he and Blue chattered on loudly. BB's head popped under the table, the bright sharp blue eye lights staring at Red. “TOO MUCH, ISN'T IT.”

Red nodded, barely shifting from his spot on the ground as he sniffled. “L-Loud...” he mumbled.

BB snorted, slipping off his own chair as he climbed under the table, but far more elegantly than any person could attempt as he took a seat next to Red. “YOU CAN'T LAY ON THE GROUND, YOU'LL CATCH A COLD AND GET YOU AND THE BABY SICK.”

Red sniffled again, slowly dragging himself up as he curled his legs up, hugging them. He looked exhausted, despite having just slept. BB sighed, reaching out and hesitating before he merely patted Red's socked foot. “GO BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM, YOU CAN HIDE IN THE FORT AND EAT.”

Red whined, scrubbing the sleeve of his pajamas across his face. “B-But, Blue wanted...me to eat with him...” he mumbled.

BB scoffed, rolling his eyes. “THE BERRY WANTS EVERYONE TO EAT WITH HIM, IT'S JUST HOW HE IS. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HE WANTS RIGHT NOW, ANYWAY. HE'D RATHER YOU BE HAPPY, I'M SURE. COME.” 

BB held his hand out with an expected look. Red hesitated a bit, but BB never moved, letting Red make the first move. Red hiccuped,then slipped his hand into BB's, squeezing tightly as BB helped him out from under the table.

Stretch and Sans waved as he was led out by BB towards the living room, shuffling him into the fort again and wrapping him up in one of the fuzzy blankets. “THERE, PERFECT. HOW DO YOU FEEL?”

Red felt really, really warm. On the inside. He smiled up at BB, giggling. “Thank you! This is nice. I like it.”

BB nodded, crossing his arms. “EAT FIRST, THEN WE'LL HAVE A TALK. AGAIN. A DIFFERENT ONE THAN LAST NIGHT.”

Red just shrugged, tugging one of the big pillows to hug over his belly as he rocked a little. BB paused, making a motion at the TV. “WOULD YOU LIKE TO WATCH SOMETHING?”

“Nuh uh.”

BB nodded, heading out back to the kitchen, fussing over Cinnamon once again. The noise wasn't as invasive here, it was more...muffled. Red pulled up the blanket over his head, sighing as he was encased in near silence. That was better.

For a moment it was just Red and the baby, relaxing in the warmth of the 'fort'. Red swayed back and forth, staring at his reflection in the TV. ...maybe it would have been nice to watch something, but...not right now. Anything bright and talking made him feel sick.

A plate slid into view, and based on the mitten, it was Papyrus. “RED!” his voice came, albeit it was the tiniest bit quieter. “HERE IS SOME PANCAKES AND BACON! ARE YOU OKAY?”

Red shifted, careful not to lose his carefully constructed blanket cave as he took the plate slowly and the cup of juice. “I'm okay. I'm. Used to the quiet, it's just....it's different.”

Papyrus gave him a thumbs up. “THAT'S ALRIGHT! NO ONE LIKES THE NOISE ALL THE TIME! IF YOU NEED SOMETHING JUST CALL US!”

“okay!” Papyrus' hand disappeared, and it seemed he had headed back to the kitchen.

Red started to eat, feeling his belly growl all of a sudden. He didn't know he was so hungry!! He chewed on a pancake, humming happily at the taste of syrup, rubbing his belly sweetly. He couldn't see the baby through the shirt, or lift it up like his sweater, but that was okay. He could feel the happy feelings of the little baby, making him happy as well.

He could barely finish his plate, they had really stacked up his food. He paused. What did he do with the plates? Normally he just washed them and put them back. But maybe they had different rules? What if they waited until a certain time?

Red squirmed out of the fort, still encased in the bundle of blankets, having to toss the pillow back in. He shuffled out of the living room slowly, holding the plate and glass, peeking into the kitchen where some of them were still eating but Cinnamon was asleep on the table again. Red made a noise, ducking his head when they all looked over at him. “I-I'm done, I didn't know...what...to do with the plates,” he mumbled.

Blue perked, squirming out of his chair and heading to Red, gently taking the plate and glass. “IT'S OKAY! I'LL PUT THEM UP FOR YOU, OKAY? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!”

Red nodded, letting him take it as he kept the blanket shut around him. Stretch chuckled. “Are ya...under cover there, bud?”

Him and Sans chuckled as Red giggled, rocking on his heels a bit. “It's warm!”

“Eh, fair enough.” Stretch shrugged, giving him a playful wink. Red hid a giggle as BB waved at a chair. “COME, SIT, WE STILL HAVE TO TALK.”

Red nodded slowly, shuffling to the chair and slowly climbing up into it, tucking the blanket around him tighter. “What are we gonna talk about...?”

BB frowned. “WELL, THE FIRST THING IS, WHAT DID YOU HAVE PLANNED TO DO? WERE YOU JUST GOING TO WANDER AROUND UNTIL YOU FELL ASLEEP?”

Red shrugged. “No, was gonna find a home.”

Sans raised a brow bone. “A home.”

Red nodded quickly, the blanket slipping down lower over his skull. “Yeah! A home! That's where you stay, right?”

Stretch chuckled. “He's got us there. Nah, bud, what BB is trying ta say under all his gruff-” BB shot him a murderous look to which Stretch stuck out his tongue. “is that we got a guest room if ya wanted to stay, and we could fix it up for ya.”

Stay. Here. With them. 

They were...nice. So nice. They gave him a bath and pajamas and a blanket and said they liked his baby! But...but...what if they tricked him? Gave him a different chain in the room and locked him up?

He had a taste of the outside, and while it was overwhelming, he wasn't sure he could give it up.

Red didn't know he was shaking under his blanket until Blue had touched his shoulder. “ARE YOU OKAY, RED?”

“I-I wanna, leave, please.” He hiccuped, scrubbing at his face. Blue gave him a worried look but BB nodded at Blue. “THAT'S FINE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT. IF YOU WANT TO COME BACK, THEN THAT'S FINE TOO.”

Red sniffled as Sans gave BB a shocked look. “He can't go that far, he's still hurt and-”

“HE CAN, AND HE WILL.” BB glared back at Sans. “IF THIS IS IMPORTANT TO RED, THEN IT IS. HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS.”

Sans nearly glared back, but after a moment, he gave in, nodding. Papyrus and Stretch seemed nervous but didn't speak up, Papyrus fiddling with his scarf nervously. Red sniffled. “I-I can?”

BB nodded sharply as Blue squeaked, “W-WELL! I'D HAVE TO GET YOUR SWEATER OUT OF THE DRYER...BUT UM, SURE! IF. BB SAYS SO, I GUESS.”

Red nodded again, squirming out of the chair and warily heading to the hall. They would stop him, they could. Gaster didn't play games, if he didn't want Red to leave, he just wouldn't. That was that.

But...they said he could...right? He looked at the door, plucking at the blanket around him as Blue sped past to the laundry room, making noises as he retrieved Red's sweater. He bounced back into view and Red shakily took his sweater from him, holding it to his chest under the blanket. Blue smiled at him. “AT LEAST COME VISIT US, WHEREVER YOU GO! PLEASE?”

Red sniffled, nuzzling his cheek into his sweater. “I-I don't...wanna go...but I don't want to...stay in here forever,” he mumbled. It was a nice house, though. He wouldn't get bored, at least.

Blue frowned. “WHAT DO YOU-OH. NO! NO NO, RED, NO! YOU CAN LEAVE WHENEVER YOU LIKE, EVERYONE DOES!” He gently placed both hands on Red's shoulders, smiling at him. “YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE IN THE LITTLE GARDEN, OR OR, GO TO THE STORE! OR THE POOL! BUT YOU CAN STILL HAVE A ROOM AND LIVE HERE!”

Red sniffled, nodding easily. Even if they lied to him, chained him down and kept him here...well. He got out once, he could do it again. “O-Okay. If you promise!” Red had a very stubborn look on his face, despite the tear tracks and Blue quickly nodded. “I PROMISE! NO MATTER WHAT!”

Red sighed, slumping a little as he nodded. “Okay. ...what's a guest room?”

Blue squeaked. “OH YOU'LL LOVE IT, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO DECORATE IT LATER, IT'S A LITTLE BORING!” He offered his arm again and Red giggled, lacing his arm with Blue's. He liked Blue. Blue was nice and BB was a little harsh but nice, and the others were nice...

“C-Can I...go somewhere later? Please?”

Blue nodded as they passed the kitchen, waving inside to tell them everything was fine, although everyone was getting up to put things away or go about their daily activities...most likely to listen in on Red though, since he seemed a little nervous still.

“SURE! ANYWHERE IN PARTICULAR? WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET THINGS TO DECORATE YOUR ROOM? OH! MAYBE THE PARK? MAYBE-”

“I wanna buy a book.”

Blue paused, looking over his shoulder at the wrapped up Red. “A BOOK? WHAT KIND?”

“I read about it..um, you take..pictures and put them in the book...I wanted some for the baby. Please?”

Blue grinned, reaching out to hold both of Red's hands as they stopped in the upper hallway. “OF COURSE! THAT'S SUCH A GREAT IDEA, RED! WE'LL GET A CAMERA AND TAKE A LOT OF PICTURES! WE CAN GO AFTER SHOWING YOUR GUEST ROOM OFF, OKAY?”

Red blushed, smiling back happily. At least he can hope, just a little. He let that warm feeling of hope carry him through as Blue led him down the hall, chattering away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's 'I wanna leave' is less of a 'I'm going out and running off ' like BB assumed, but more of him thinking their offer of a guest room was a hidden way of saying 'you're staying here now, forever' and he wants the OPTION to leave.
> 
> Blue's assurances helped. But not a lot. Because hey, you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?
> 
> Also the scrapbook idea was outta nowhere but can't you see Red taking ALL the pictures?!


	15. Red Sleeps A Lot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red sleeps in a bed. Red sleeps in a van.
> 
> Blue just wants to dress him up all nice, yo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was going to be longer, but figured the ending was good for now :P

Blue opened the door with a whirl, striking his usual pose with one hand on his hip, the other pointing at the ceiling. “TA DA!”

Red peeked around him with wide eyes. The room was...nice, and big! The bed was massive, to him at least, about as big as Gaster's..bed...he gulped, averting his eyes as he looked around. There was a large set of drawers, a small desk with a large mirror, a stool in front, another set of doors-to a closet?-and a fuzz green rug under his feet.

Blue grinned at him and Red gave him a slightly nervous smile. Blue blinked. “WHAT'S WRONG?”

Red hesitated, ducking into his blanket a bit. “Th-The bed is...um...”

Blue looked from Red to the bed then back. “DO YOU...WANT IT SMALLER?”

Red shook his head. Blue frowned. “...HMMM. HOW ABOUT A DIFFERENT BLANKET AND PILLOWS? WOULD THAT HELP?”

Red tilted his head. The color of the blanket-and the fact that it looked silky to the touch-was part of the reason he didn't want it. It was also the same exact coloring of the bed...Red shivered. “C-Can you get a different color? Like. I dunno.”

Blue nodded, smiling. “FOR THE BLANKET? OR DID YOU WANT TO PAINT THE HEADBOARD?”

“...w-we can do that?”

“ABSOLUTELY!” He tugged Red further into the room, letting him go as he started dragging the blankets off the bed, leaving Red to look around the room some more. He shuffled to the desk, waving at himself in the mirror, making a silly face. Someone chuckled from the door and he quickly spun around to see Stretch, leaning against the doorway. “Hey bro, helping redecorate already?”

“YES! THE BED IS NOT UP TO RED'S STANDARDS!” Blue was buried in the giant blanket, holding it up in triumph before he marched out of the room to toss them in a closet. Stretch chuckled, letting him by before looking over at Red. “Damn that looks comfy, I may have ta make myself a blanket burrito.” He winked.

Red blinked, giggling a bit as he sat on the stool, cuddling into the blanket. “It's v-very cozy...”

“I figured. We're gonna have to get you some clothes...probably paint the room too, it's kinda boring, huh?”

Red blinked, looking around slowly. The walls were white, just as his home used to be...but...colored walls? How? Red shrugged, swaying back and forth on the stool. “I-I, sure...?”

Stretch nodded. “Whatever ya wanna do, bud. BB's making up a plan already, heh. But I figured ya had too much going on already so I talked him out of a few things for today at least.” He winked.

Red tilted his head. “Plan?”

“Ta check on ya and the baby, gotta stay in good health for baby bones, right?”

Red perked up, grinning brightly as he tugged his blanket open. He loved to talk about his baby! “Yes! He's healthy! I think. Look look!” He tugged up his shirt a bit, cooing at his belly. The baby was just a little bigger, not by much. The head was funny looking and the little arms were still nubs, and he was missing a few ribs but they'd grow in long before he was born.

Stretch smiled softly, nodding. “Yeah, he's doing pretty good, huh? You're a good mom. But ah, better safe than sorry, right?”

Red quickly nodded, rubbing over the small soul gently. “Yes! I want him to grow up strong and smart and happy!”

Stretch chuckled, giving a lazy thumbs up. “Sounds like a plan. So, what did ya have to do today?”

Red flushed a bit, curling down as he tugged the blanket back around himself. Blue had promised, but would Stretch take it back. “B-Blue said, um, I can get a book, to take pictures of baby.”

Stretch hummed, tilting his head. “Like, a scrap book? That's a good idea. Better get a camera too. Ah, that means bookstore, I bet. Or the superstore. You need clothes ta get.”

Red shrugged. He didn't know what a store was, but he just knew he wanted one. “I-I don't need a lot of clothes. I like my sweater.”

“Yeaaah but like, what about going swimming or what if it rains? Ya need a good raincoat.”

Oh. Well. That...was true. Red thought about it for a moment before Blue bumped into Stretch with a pile of bright pink fuzzy blankets. “PAPY! MOOOOVE! I HAVE TO FIX RED'S BED!”

Stretch lazily slumped to the side, snorting. “The shag blanket?”

“IT'S THE ONLY ONE WE HAD THAT WAS FUZZY!” He piled the blanket onto the bed, smoothing it out as he tucked the ends in. “BB TOOK THE SILK BLANKET, SAID HE WOULD USE IT.”

Stretch nodded as Red gasped. “oooh. It looks pretty...!”

Blue grinned, fluffing up a big purple pillow that for some reason had some kind of tiny arms on it. “WE BOUGHT IT AS A GAG GIFT FOR PAPYRUS, I THINK? AND THEN IT JUST BECAME A 'WHOEVER'S COLD' BLANKET. AND NOW IT'S YOURS!”

Red blushed, giggling softly. “Thank you, I love it!”

Blue happily grinned, striking another pose. “MWEH! OF COURSE! THE AMAZING BLUE IS NOTHING IF NOT A WONDERFUL HOST!”

“Hey bro, ya going to the store or the book store? Cherry needs clothes.”

Blue gasped, clapping his hands on his cheeks. “THAT'S RIGHT!! THERE'S SCRAPBOOKS AT THE STORE TOO, WE NEED TO GET YOU AMAZING CLOTHES!”

Red blushed brightly, sinking into the blanket around him. “C-Can I take a nap, first? Before we go? I'm..a little tired.” This was much more than he usually did after breakfast, anyway.

Blue quickly nodded. “OF COURSE! PAPY, LET'S GO! RED NEEDS TO REST FOR THE BABY!” He hurried to Stretch, pushing on him as Stretch slowly walked to the door. “Oh no. Gravity. My only weakness.”

“BROTHER-!” the door shut after them, and Red waited nervously for the click of a lock but it never came.

He sighed roughly, rubbing at his cheek. They were...a lot. A lot a lot. So much. But..he...liked it. It was a lot better than quietness. 

It was just a lot to get used to.

He stripped off the blanket, folding it to lay next to the door, then he slowly climbed into the bed. With the fuzzy blanket and strange pillow, it was far from Gaster's bed. The headboard, and four posts, were dark brown like his...and he hoped Blue could help him paint it. Or Stretch. Either way.

Red squirmed under the fuzzy blanket, wiggling his feet a bit. It tickled! And it was very, very warm!! He leaned back, the pillow felt a bit odd but he sunk down into the bed a bit, his arms over both of the arms on the pillow and oh...ooohhhh.

It pressed just nice into his back, pushing his belly up a bit to keep off his back. It was perfect. He purred at the delicious feeling, dozing off quickly, feeling that warmth spark in his soul again.

“This...is my van.” Stretch proudly patted the side of said van. It was...well it was very neon. With funny signs on it. Blue sighed as he rubbed at his face. “YOU'RE RIDICULOUS, BROTHER.”

Stretch just grinned, patting his van. “Don't listen to him, Pacman, you're the best.”

Red giggled under his hand, his other hand holding Blue's tightly. He wanted to wear just his sweater, but he had a crash course from BB and Blue on why that was very much against the rules and that he didn't everyone to...see him down there. 

Red agreed, he didn't, but he sure missed his sweater.

He continued to wear the yellow pajamas Blue had leant him, but since it was a bit chilly out-something about Spring and it going to Summer...-Sans had dug up some spare soft slippers for Red to wear, and Cinnamon tucked a little funny thing around his shoulders, wearing a funny mask over his mouth. Cinnamon had chuckled when Red asked him about it ('don't want ya getting what I got') and then he had left for some job he had.

The little fuzzy thing around his shoulders was nice and warm, and kept the chill out from the slightly thin pajamas. It also covered up his chest, which he was also thankful for, as it was fairly sensitive lately and he didn't want people staring at him.

Stretch opened the side panel, pushing it open with a grunt, waving at the two long seats in the back. “A'ight, Red. Sans and BB think ya don't need ta be on your leg too much, so you can lay in the back.”

Red nervously looked at Blue, who smiled at him. “IT'S OKAY! IT'S COMFY!” Red nodded, slightly limping as he and Blue walked up to the van. Now that he finally got some feeling in his legs, the tender part of his leg ached if he stood for too long.

Stretch held out his hands once Red got close enough. “Want some help?”

Red looked from Stretch, to the van, then nodded slowly. “C-Careful, please?”

Stretch chuckled. “Course.” He leaned down helping Red up into the van easily. He was used to carting around Blue or even Sans, but he couldn't just yank Red around like them. He lifted Red up, settling him on the seat. “Here, just lay on down and put your legs up, okay?”

Blue tossed a pillow at Stretch, who pulled an armrest down near Red's side. “Here, cushion your head, kay?”

Red nodded nervously, taking the pillow as Stretch shut the door. He squirmed to the middle of the seat, laying himself down slowly onto the pillow and bringing his feet up. He sighed softly. It was comfy, really, really comfy. He gently rubbed his belly, nearly dozing as Stretch got in the front seat, Blue hopping into the other one, turning on the radio on low as he and Stretch talked about what to get.

Red watched sleepily through the window as they started off. It wasn't like the bus, but it was a little. The gentle ride eased him into another nap, one he didn't fight. Naps were a way to pass the time, and it seemed to perk up the baby's energy, making Red just as happy to sleep away.

Blue looked back nervously at the dozing skeleton, then shifted to settle in his own seat. “DO YOU THINK IT'S BAD HE'S SLEEPING SO MUCH?”

Stretch grunted, shaking his head as they came to a stop at a sign. “Nah. He's bored, bro, even if he doesn't know it. Sleeping is just his way of dealing with it.”

Blue sighed, fiddling with his seatbelt. “WE SHOULD FIND HIM SOMETHING TO DO! LIKE A PUZZLE BOOK! THAT'S A NICE QUIET ACTIVITY!”

Stretch snickered, taking off again once they were able. “Unless it's between ya and Papyrus, it turns into an all out puzzle war.”

Blue blushed, swatting his shoulder. “THAT WAS ONE TIME!”

“Five.”

“PAPY!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when you're bored, ya tend to nap a ton. Plus, what else did Red have to do at Gaster's place? Play video games?
> 
> (You just know he's going to see all the baby clothes and nearly die at the cuteness, tho)


	16. Shopping Montage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to shop! And find neat things! And have a panic attack-wait what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shopping is life. But also the calendar is important.

The van chugged its way into the parking lot, slowly pulling into a parking spot near the front but not at the handicapped spots. Stretch grinned as Blue rolled his eyes. Stretch seemed to have weird luck to get exactly front spots when going shopping.

“It's a gift~”

“SHUSH! GO GET A BUGGY!” Blue shooed Stretch out of the van, unbuckling himself to get out and open the sliding door. He climbed up into it, gently patting Red's shoulder. “RED...RED, WE'RE HERE.”

Red sighed in his sleep, nuzzling into his pillow. “Sleepy...”

“I KNOOOOW BUT IT'LL BE FUN TO GO IN! I PROMISE!”

Red peeked an eye open, pouting almost. “What if it's too loud again..”

Blue hummed. He didn't think of that. He thought for a moment before perking up, digging under one of the seats and pulling out a set of earmuffs. “TA DA!”

Red sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he yawned again. “What're those?”

“THEY GO ON YOUR EARS AND THEY MUFFLE NOISE! BB AND CINNAMON USE THEM WHEN THEY GO TO REALLY LOUD PLACES.” He reached out, waving Red to move his head down. Red did so nervously, giggling at the smooth fluff on his head, patting the sides. “SINCE WE'RE MAGIC, YOU CAN STILL HEAR US, BUT HUMANS WILL BE MUFFLED!”

Red bobbed his head, perking up as Stretch brought a steel buggy, lazily leaning on the handle. “Fooound one. Hmmm. We should probably have Red ride in the buggy...” he mumbled.

Red pouted. “Huh? Why? It looks pointy.”

Stretch snorted, shaking his head as he dragged a sheet from under a seat, tucking it on the bottom of the buggy. “It won't be now. And 'cause your leg, still. Once you're up ta full health, you'll be rocking around, I expect.”

Red blushed, giggling a bit as he nodded. That was fair. Plus he didn't want to get lost...he squirmed to the edge of the seat as Blue yanked himself into the basket at the end, posing like a captain on the ship. Stretch helped Red out of the van, helping him step into the buggy and sit down slowly. Red winced, pouting. “It's still pointy. Can I have the pillow?”

Stretch nodded, plopping the pillow in Red's lap before shutting the door. Red shifted to shove the pillow under him, sighing at the feeling. He hummed, peeking over the edge of the buggy as Stretch pushed them, Blue yelling out directions.

It was a little funny, and Red couldn't help giggling at the sight of it, leaning back against the wires of the buggy to try and relax.

They stepped through the door, a burst of cold air blasting them and Red squeaked, ducking into the shawl thing around him and shivering. “That's cold! Stop iiiit!”

Stretch grunted, sighing. “Sorry, Red. That's uh, they keep flies out with it, see, it stops.”

Red whined, shivering as he peeked out. The air wasn't blasting them now, but it was a little chilly inside. “Cold.”

Blue nodded. “IT'S ALWAYS COLD AT THE STORE! WE'LL HAVE TO BUY YOU A COAT!”

Red pouted, nodding as he tucked himself into a ball as best he could, still shivering a bit. He peeked out again, curling his fingers through the gaps of the buggy. There were so many people! People in funny hats and outfits and small ones and tall ones...

Someone eating something and someone was laughing with another person, and someone pushed by them without saying anything...

Red shivered. So. Many. People. He gulped, looking over at Blue who was eagerly pointing the way towards the clothes. They passed an aisle with little books and he gasped. “W-Wait!”

Stretch paused, looking down. “What's up, cherry pop?”

Red pointed, ignoring the weird nickname. “C-Can I have a calendar? I can't keep track of things without one.”

Stretch nodded, plucking one that had nice flowers on it and handing it to Red. It was a small book with a calendar and a place for every day to write in. He held it close to him with a blush as Blue pointed at the other aisle. “AND A SCRAPBOOK! PAPY, AHOY!”

“Aye, aye.” Stretch pushed them down the aisle, pausing to let Blue snatch a big book that had a pale blue cover. 'My First Scrapbook' it said, with little baby feet next to a circle for a photo. “LOOK, RED! IT'S A BABY ONE!”

Red squeaked. “It's pretty!! He'll love it!” Blue laid it on the bottom of the buggy, and Red eyed it, wanting to check it out but it was wrapped up in some weird crinkly plastic. Stretch started pushing them again, off towards racks of clothes and folded up things on wooden bench looking things.

Blue hummed, pointing one way. “FIRST. A SHIRT TO WEAR WHEN YOU LIKE!” Stretch lazily pushed the way Blue pointed, pausing at a carousel of shirts. Blue turned around, grinning at Red. “WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE?”

Red whined, hugging the calendar a bit. “I-I don't know...something that's comfy, maybe...?”

“Ey bro, he might actually need maternity shirts. None will fit him for a few months.”

Blue gasped. “YOU'RE RIGHT, PAPY! GO GO GO! RED, THEY'RE VERY PRETTY, THEY HAVE FUNNY DESIGNS ON THEM!”

Red nodded nervously, adjusting his earmuffs again. Too many people walking around, but they ignored them, at least. Stretch managed to navigate them down a very narrow aisle, ending up near some very pretty long shirts hanging up.

Blue hummed, tugging on one that was black but had a baby skeleton on it. “LOOK, RED! ISN'T THAT CUTE?”

Red nodded slowly. “C-Can I pull it up to see the baby?”

“YEAH! WELL. YOU'LL NEED PANTS UNDERNEATH IF YOU UM, DO THAT IN PUBLIC.” Blue laughed nervously, tugging it down and spreading the shirt out, comparing it to Red before nodding. “MAYBE SOME SHORTS.”

Red nodded, taking the shirt when Blue handed it to him. Stretch chuckled, pointing at one. “eeeeyy.”

The shirt read 'Bakin' Up a Baby' with a little loaf over the belly. Red snorted as he giggled. “That's funny!”

“UGH, PUNS. BUT YES, GET IT!” Stretch grabbed it, folding it up to plop into Red's lap. Red grabbed it close, hugging them close as they chose a few more shirts, a few larger ones, and then they got some for after Red had the baby, slightly smaller ones and a sweater or two.

Blue frowned, crossing his arms. “...DO...WE GET HIM A BRA...?” he blushed brightly as Stretch coughed, shaking his head. “Uh, um, I mean.”

“What's a bra?” They looked down at Red who was gleefully covered up with all the shirts. They were warm and kept him safe from everyone, plus they were just fun to hug.

Blue cleared his throat. “I-IT'S, WELL, IT...HOLDS...YOUR CHEST UP???”

“Sounds painful.”

Stretch snickered, nodding. “I mean, if he has to feed the baby, then it's not of real use, yeah? Let's just get some underwear and shorts.”

“AND SHOES!”

“And shoes.”

Red shrugged, happy to relax and just agree or disagree when they showed him different things. There were some really...small underwear and he didn't like that. He preferred the slightly boxy ones, and they bought a spare set of fuzzy socks.

At the shoes, Stretch pulled a few shirts from off his legs. “Alright, let's get ya some good shoes.” Red squeaked, nodding a bit as Blue picked out a simple pair of sneakers. “HERE, TRY THEM ON!”

Red took one, staring at it for a moment before slowly wiggling it onto his foot. Blue nodded. “HOW'S IT FEEL?”

Red shrugged, wiggling his foot back and forth a bit. “Um. Good...? I haven't worn shoes...before.”

Stretch hummed. “Yeah, maybe kinda ease into 'em. For now this is pretty good, aye?”

“YES! WE GOT A LOT DONE, GO US!” Blue helped Red take the shoe off slowly, putting it back in the box to check out at the end.

Red giggled, leaning back against the wires again. “S-So, going home now?”

Stretch nodded, pushing the buggy. “To home, then maybe lunch and ah, a nap for ya?”

Red nodded. Nap sounded good. Naps always sounded good.

But as they headed into the open aisle, turning the corner, Red saw something absolutely adorable. “Oh, wait!”

Stretch stopped the buggy, looking down. “What's wrong? You okay?”

Red pointed, squirming to stand up in the pile of clothes. “L-Look! Baby stuff!”

There was a giant sign above a wall of baby clothes, with just the word 'baby'. He looked up at Stretch with big eyes. “Can we see? Please? I didn't know babies wore clothes!”

Stretch chuckled, turning the buggy that way. “Oh, yeah, just smaller ones is all. Guess we could start getting baby things together.”

Blue nodded. “VERY GOOD IDEA, RED! NEXT TIME WE'LL GET A CRIB...OOOH, AND A ROCKER...!”

Red just kept his eyes on the little tiny baby suits, reaching out when they got close to one that said 'Mama's Cupcake' and he squeaked. “It's soooo smaaalll! Stretch! Blue! Small!!!”

Blue nodded, reaching for some tiny socks. “THEY ARE! ARE BABIES THIS SMALL, BROTHER?”

Stretch lazily leaned on the buggy again, yawning. “Hm? Oh, yeah, especially baby bones. But they grow super fast. Should get a bunch of different ...sizes...”

Red had already gathered up quite a few from each size on the wall, grunting as he slowly pulled them all into the buggy, plopping down into the pile of clothes. He looked up at them with a grin. “Baby clothes!”

“Sweet.”

“WOWIE, SO MANY!” Blue bounced in the buggy eagerly. “WE'LL NEED A DRESSER FOR THEM! IS THAT ALL?”

Red giggled, picking up one and hugging it to his chest with a large grin. “Sooo tiny...little tiny baby...” he cooed, rubbing his belly softly. Stretch chuckled. “I uh, think we lost him, bro.”

“AWWW. LET'S GO CHECK OUT AND GO HOME THEN! WE CAN RIFLE THROUGH THE BABY CLOTHES THEN!”

Red squeaked, nodding eagerly. “Y-Yeah! And fold them up and look at them!”

Stretch nodded along as he pushed the buggy, Blue chattering with Red about how excited they were. They had to wait in a slightly long line, Red slowly growing quiet and burying himself into the clothes. He was breathing a little faster, and Stretch frowned, looking down. “Red? Bud, you okay?”

“I don't feel good...” he mumbled softly.

Stretch looked at Blue with a frown and Blue nodded. “HEY, YOU WANNA GO OUTSIDE AND SIT DOWN? PAPY CAN GET THE CLOTHES.”

Red sniffed, rubbing at his face. “B-But...”

“IT'LL BE OKAY, I PROMISE!”

Red nodded after a bit, his face was so much paler than it was earlier. Stretch helped him out easily, putting him down with Blue who had jumped off the buggy with ease. Red held onto Blue's shoulder shakily, panting almost as he hid his face into Blue's shoulder. “S-Sorry, sorry...”

“IT'S OKAY, C'MON.” He smiled at Stretch before winding his arms around Red, leading him out through the crowd slowly. There was a bench outside and he helped the limping skeleton to it, helping him sit down as he wheezed, leaning over his stomach and shaking. Blue rubbed his back softly, letting him work through his panic.

Red gulped, sniffling as he peeked up from around his arms, still shaking. “S-Sorry..I don't...feel good.”

“IT'S OKAY, SOMETIMES IT GETS A BIT MUCH, HUH?”

Red nodded, tucking his arms back around his face with a long sigh. “...my face feels cold.”

“PROBABLY CLAMMY. HERE...” He had Red lean up a bit, the pale creeping out of his face slowly and Blue took out a small cloth from his pocket, rubbing at his face and cleaning him up a little from where he had cold sweated. 

Stretch came out to find them cuddled up almost, Red hiding into Blue's shoulder, moving a finger at a little curious bird, cooing at it sweetly as Blue informed him of what a crow did and how they were 'SUPER REALLY COOL'. Stretch chuckled. “Ready to go?”

Blue looked up, smiling as Red nodded into Blue's shoulder. “YEAH, WE'RE READY.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that thing where you're having a great time with someone and all of a sudden you just get this really horrible feeling like you're gonna vomit and you start shaking and have to lie down?
> 
> Anyway that sucks. But it's par for the course when you start to tune back in to all the horrible things that happened and the massive crowd around you =)


	17. Rollercoaster Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red shows off clothes. BB shows off his mothering skills. Kinda. Nearly backfires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby clothes, doctor's appointments, etc etc.

The ride back was uneventful. Red slept the rest of the way home, clutching the bag of baby clothes tightly, snoring this time. Blue helped him out of the van once they got in, even as he grumbled at being woken up from his nap.

He perked up when Stretch suggested showing the others all the baby clothes-and the clothes Red had for himself as well. Red seemed enamoured with that idea, rushing in with a squeal and holding the bag of baby clothes close to his chest. He caught up with Papyrus, who seemed thrilled to see Red so happy and nodded along as Red told him of their shopping trip.

Stretch carted some of the bags in while Blue looked like an awkward tree as he tried hard not to fall over while carrying most of them in.

BB was on an armchair in the living room, watching TV with a bored expression while Sans was in the other, napping. Papyrus had taken the fort down while they were out, so he and Red were seated on the couch digging through the bag.

Red pulled out a pale pink one that had a little tutu on it. “Oh! Look! It’s tiny! And has a little skirt on it!” he cooed. Papyrus nodded, pulling out another one. “OH MY, YOU’VE GOTTEN QUITE THE STASH OF THEM! IT’LL BE FUN TO SEE HIM ALL DRESSED UP!”

Red giggled, pulling out the tiny socks Blue had gotten. “Yes! I mean. I hope they fit!”

BB’s eyes flicked from the TV to the two gushing skeletons. “IF NOT, WE COULD ATTEMPT TO SEW ON THEM AT THE VERY LEAST. I TAKE IT THE SHOPPING WENT FINE?”

Stretch gave a thumbs up as he passed Blue the bags to take up to Red’s room after he already dashed up and dropped his off. “Real great. Got a bunch of clothes for Red and baby, heh. Plus a book.”

Red gasped, digging to the bottom of the bag and pulling out his little calendar and the big scrapbook. “Lookit! Um. Which month is this?”

“IT’S MAY!” Papyrus piped up helpfully, sorting out the small onesies one by one. Red flipped through the small calendar, taking the little pen on it and marking out the days. “What day?”

BB answered, “TWELFTH.” Red nodded, marking it to the twelfth day, grinning. “Hooray! I like keeping track...oh and we got the book, and I’m gonna take pictures!!” 

Stretch nodded, waving a small cheap polaroid camera. “I snagged this at the front, we can get refills for it.”

Papyrus gasped. “OH I LOVE THOSE CAMERAS, THEY’RE QUITE FUN! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE PICTURES OF, RED?”

Red happily took the camera as Stretch passed by, plopping down on top of Sans who snored louder. “Oh! Baby and me and ...the baby! For now. I’m not sure what else!”

Papyrus cupped his mittened hand on his chin, nodding as he thought. “PERHAPS YOURSELF IN DIFFERENT PLACES, SO AS TO SHOW WHERE THE BABY HAS BEEN!”

Red gasped. “Oooh..that’s a good idea!!”

Red and Papyrus gushed over all the little baby outfits, folding them onto the table in tiny piles. “ARE YOU GOING TO TRY YOUR CLOTHES ON?”

Red nervously shrugged, playing with the edge of the fuzzy shawl. “M-Maybe later...there’s a few that are nice.” He smiled and Papyrus nodded. “WELL, WONDERFUL! YOU CAN ALWAYS COME AND SHOW US WHEN YOU LIKE!”

Red smiled wider, quickly nodding as he pat the little onesies. “O-Okay. Where should I put these…?”

“HERE, I’LL PUT THEM AWAY IN THE DRAWERS FOR NOW, AND THEN! WE’LL GET ONE FOR THE BABY!!” Papyrus hopped up, easily scooping up the perfectly folded piles as he hurried off and up the stairs. BB tried not to grin at his antics, shaking his head before looking at the now nervous Red. “RED.”

Red jumped, plucking at the shawl. “Y-Yes…?”

“I’VE GONE AHEAD AND MADE A FEW APPOINTMENTS, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR LEGS AND FEET LOOKED AT, AND YOUR BABY NEEDS A CHECK UP AROUND THIS TIME I BELIEVE.”

Red fidgeted again, swaying a bit in place. “U-Um, but, he’s okay...a-and my leg is okay! I just can’t stand on it long.”

BB huffed, sitting up as he looked at Red with an intense gaze. “IT NEEDS TO STRENGTHEN, OTHERWISE IT’LL SNAP LIKE A DAMN TOOTHPICK.” His gaze softened as Red seemed to shrink into himself, sighing. “AND YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE HE’S OKAY, NONE OF US ARE BABY BONES EXPERTS. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEALTH AND THE BABY’S.”

Red sniffled, nodding as he rubbed at his cheek. “I-I know..but..it’s scary...isn’t it?”

“ONE OF US WILL GO IN WITH YOU, IF YOU PREFER. WE CAN ENSURE THE DOCTOR DOESN’T DO ANYTHING ‘SCARY’, ALRIGHT?”

Red nodded morosely, not wanting to go at all, but BB did have a point. He didn’t know how babies were supposed to grow, and he wanted his baby to be healthy! “When do I gotta go?”

“NOT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. HERE, LET ME SEE YOUR CALENDAR.” He got up, stepping over to the couch. Red slowly gave him the calendar, and BB scribbled down a few dates for various appointments. “THERE. YOU CAN CHOOSE WHO YOU WANT TO GO WITH, AND YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND ANY TIME, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO, RED. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY.”

Red nodded, taking his calendar back with a sigh. “What’s the one in three days?”

“FOR YOUR LEG. IT’S A MAIN CONCERN BUT THAT’S THE QUICKEST I COULD GET.” he seemed annoyed with it, but pat Red’s head with a gloved hand. “DON’T WORRY...BESIDES, YOU GET TO WEAR ONE OF YOUR NEW OUTFITS OUT ON THE TOWN.” He gave a small smile, and Red sniffed, smiling back softly. 

“O...Okay. Thank you, BB.”

“OF COURSE. LUNCH WILL BE READY SOON.” With that he walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. Red sighed, hugging his calendar to him with a pout. He didn’t want to go...but BB said it was important...he looked over at Sans and Stretch. “Is it gonna be scary? Are they mean?”

Stretch shook his head, still sitting on Sans a bit. “Nah. Most likely, they’ll say ‘hm, that’s not good’ and give you some kinda boot or cast.”

Sans nodded from where his head was weirdly tilted under Stretch’s arm. “Yeah, they’ll get one look at the kid and go ‘cute’, most likely.” He opened an eye socket, looking at Red. “Don’t worry bud, take BB with ya and he’ll rip ‘em to shreds if they make ya cry.”

Red giggled, sliding to stand up with a yawn. “I’m gonna go nap...and then eat…”

“Sounds like a plan, bone man.” Red giggled at Stretch and Sans’ simultaneous sentence, scurrying off into the hall, wincing at the slight pain in his leg.

Blue had appeared, and he quickly hugged around his shoulders, pouting up at him that he couldn’t get up the stairs.

He didn’t expect Blue to pick him up in his arms, and he blushed, burying his face into Blue’s neck as he laughed. Blue placed him down in front of his room, bowing with a flourish. “YOUR ROOM, ROYAL HIGHNESS!”

Red couldn’t help the giggles, his cheeks bright as he grinned widely. “Thank you, Blue...c-come get me for lunch?”

“OF COURSE! HAVE A GOOD NAP WITH THE BABY!” Red giggled, waving at him as he hurried off to do whatever Blue did during the day.

Once in his room, he didn’t see the bags, and for a quick moment he thought, maybe, they had thrown them all away. After an odd thump in his soul, he took a breath, rubbing his cheek. No, there was a dresser in here, and a closet. He had to check.

His hand shook as he took hold of the closet door, opening it slowly. 

Hanging up in front was the funny skeleton shirt that Stretch and Blue had found for him. The rest were hanging up behind them, and it was obvious what didn’t fit had been put away in the drawers.

Red sighed, leaning against the doorway. He felt gooey with relief, although he wasn’t sure why...he never had this many clothes, what did it make a difference?

But it did, for some reason. He rubbed at his eye, rubbing his belly gently. “They’re nice clothes, aren’t they?” he giggled. He slowly stripped out of the pajamas, hesitantly putting them in the basket near the dresser, along with the shawl. He put the slippers next to it, so he wouldn’t forget them.

He tugged the shirt down, slipping it over his head with ease. Stretch was right, a normal shirt would most likely only fit halfway down, and worse when he got a little bigger. Would he get bigger? He didn’t know how it went, just that the baby was there.

The shirt bumped over his belly slightly, and hung just around his knees. He smiled, stroking the little image of the baby skeleton. It was...soft...and nice, and didn’t need to be adjusted or unbuttoned. He played with the idea of putting on some of the nice boxer underwear, but he shook his head. Not yet, at least. He shuffled over to his bed, climbing into the fuzzy blanket, nuzzling his head against the comfy pillow with a sigh.

It felt wonderful, and he told himself he’d wake up in half an hour...that should be enough time for lunch, right? Right…

...right…

And off he went to sleep, relaxed and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BB will murder anyone who looks at Red wrong and we all know it. (Plus gives me a chance to write him more ;) )


	18. The Doctor's Appointment, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red spends time with everyone. Red has to go get his leg seen about. Red hates this plan.
> 
> BB, honestly, just takes care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I would start each chapter with the month and how far along Red is! Red's birthday is a ~mystery~ except to him, but he often forgets the official 'date' as he just followed his old calendar. Anywho! Enjoy this slightly fact checked doctor appointment!

May, Red is twelve weeks pregnant. 

Red tried not to think too much about the upcoming doctor’s appointment. Blue took him out to the garden and he happily sunned on a nice warm stone, hesitantly dipping a foot into their pool. None of them would go swimming until the ‘Summer’, which according to his calendar, was only in a month!

He had to get a bathing suit, according to Blue, who promised to help him pick a good one out.

The next day, Red stood up in front of the mirror, having stripped off the shirt and taking a picture of himself. He giggled at the sight of the small baby, he was so so small! Barely noticeable! He took the book and a marker, circling slowly around where the baby was, then gluing it into the book. There! First picture down!

He put on his shirt, and limped to the door, where Blue would meet him and take him to breakfast.

Red spent time with all of them through the days. Sans and Stretch were fairly similar. They made jokes and puns that made him giggle and smile. Sans for some reason was a little more nervous around him, but made up for it by asking about the baby.

Stretch would let Red sleep on him, accustomed to someone plopping on him and using him as a bed, he said.

Blue was...his favorite, secretly. Blue and Papyrus were fairly similar as well, both loud and energetic. Papyrus would gush about the baby, but he knew about as much as Red did about babies...which wasn’t much. However, Red did like to sit on a stool and help Papyrus cook.

Blue would take Red outside, or he’d ask him about his day, or would speed around and get Red a book to read and then sit with him, vibrating with energy as Red would read it aloud slowly.

It was nice, they were all very different, but he just felt more connected to Blue.

He couldn’t see Cinnamon until the next day, sadly. He had something called ‘the flu’ and Cinnamon didn’t want to hurt him or the baby with it. When he was over it, he taught Red a simple card game after explaining about cards, then would talk about his classes.

Cinnamon was the local school’s physics teacher. Red was very interested in it, hanging on to Cinnamon’s words as he explained a few lessons, hugging the yellow pillow around him with wide eyes.

BB was...different. He scared Red, a little. He was fierce and pushy, but he was...really...nice?? Too?? He would bite mean words at the others, but it had a caring air around it?

Red was really confused. But, well...it was...a little nice. Red had shuffled out of his room one morning without anything on-too used to either wearing a sweater or nothing in general-only for BB to appear without a sound, gripping his arm gently and steering a sleepy Red back to his room, chiding him for walking around without clothes as he’d ‘CATCH A COLD AND THEN WHAT WOULD THEY DO?’

Either way, the day of the appointment came, and Red pouted at the kitchen table, one leg swaying over the chair’s edge. He had to wear a pair of shorts today, and it pinched at his hips tightly. He didn’t care for them. He chose a nice white soft shirt that had a big soul and a tiny soul on the belly saying ‘Love Being Created’. It nearly made him cry! It was so cute!

Red sighed again, pouting at BB. “Do I haaaave to go to the doctor…?”

BB didn’t even look at him, sipping a mug of coffee as he read the paper. “YES. IT WOULD BE OUR LUCK YOUR LEG WOULD BREAK AND YOU WOULD FALL, AND WE DON’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.”

Red sighed again, louder as he slumped in the chair. “I guuuess….” He perked up as he was handed a bowl of oatmeal. It had tiny funny shapes in it that tasted good! He dug in eagerly. After the first time he went and hid in the living room, the others had found that so long as they were a bit quieter, Red could stand to be around them. 

The sound wasn’t so bad, maybe a few murmured questions about someone’s day, clinking of plates. Red felt a little bad that he had intruded on their morning time, but Blue assured him that they weren’t normally so ‘rowdy’.

Whatever that meant.

All the same,the mornings were easier to bear on him, at least right now. He finished up, wiping his face on a napkin before he squirmed out of his chair. “I gotta put my shoes on!”

BB nodded again, sipping his coffee. “VERY WELL, BE CAREFUL, I’LL BE DONE IN A MOMENT.”

“Yessir!” Red limped off as he hurried away. His shoes had been moved to the front entrance, BB forgiving him for wearing shoes in the house the few times he forgot, gently reminding him to take them off at the door. 

He settled on the little stool near it, wiggling his foot into the shoes with a smile. They were nice and red sneakers, although the ties were hard but he did it! He sat on the stool, his leg made it hard to stand very long. Not much longer, and BB came around the corner, stopping to slip into his heels, offering his arm for Red.

Red happily hugged onto his arm, shaking a bit as they headed out the door. “Is the doctor nice?”

“IF THEY AREN’T, I’LL CUT OFF THEIR KNEES.”

“That sounds painful…” Red couldn’t help a small giggle though, BB helping him into the very black car. It had nice seats and it was warm on the inside when BB cranked the car. Red jumped the seat got warmer!!

“THE SEATS WARM, SORRY I FAILED TO MENTION IT. HERE, PRESS THAT BUTTON AND YOU CAN LAY BACK.” BB showed him, and Red slowly tilted the seat back, relaxing against the seat with a happy sigh.

“It feels nice...thank you…” 

BB nodded, his eyes on the road. 

Unfortunately the doctor wasn’t very far, so Red didn’t get to nap. But he did relax nicely in the warm car, curled up a bit.

BB parked the car in front of the entrance. “WAIT HERE. I’LL BE BACK.” Red nodded, curling up into his shirt a bit as BB left. He peeked over the edge of the door, BB heading back with a weird...chair thing. BB’s heels gave him enough inches to be a head over it, and he parked the chair near the car, opening the door. “THIS IS CALLED A WHEELCHAIR. WHEN SOMEONE DOESN’T FEEL GOOD, OR CAN’T WALK, THEY USE ONE OF THESE.”

Red frowned, looking at the chair nervously. “B-But I can walk…”

“IT’LL MEAN YOU CAN TAKE A SMALL NAP, AND I WOULD FEEL MUCH BETTER IF YOU WOULD. PLEASE?”

Red slumped a bit, BB was so nice to him, and here he was, being difficult. He nodded, taking BB’s arm and hopping into chair, propping his feet up on the little metal things, and off BB went with him.

Oh. This was a little fun! He had to shift though, his back ached at the awkward angle. BB parked him to the side of the door. “I HAVE TO PARK, BUT I’LL BE RIGHT BACK. BITE ANYONE WHO TRIES TO MOVE YOU.”

Red blushed, nodding quickly as BB left again, leaving Red to twiddle his thumbs. The front entrance held only a fountain, with a door to the left with big windows showing a few people in chairs, reading magazines or at a window talking to someone inside.

Red jumped as BB appeared again, gripping the handles of the chair. “READY?”

“Uh huh…”

BB nodded sharply, and his heels echoed on slick floor as he wheeled Red towards the door. It opened on its own, like the one at the store, and Red sunk into his chair as a few people looked up to see who it was. He didn’t want them to see him.

BB led him to the side, placing a magazine in his hands. “I’LL TELL THEM WE’RE HERE. HERE, THIS IS A MAGAZINE THAT DEALS IN FOREIGN LANDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY. YOU’LL LIKE IT.” And he was gone. Again.

Red sighed, looking down at the magazine. It had a picture of a weird statue on the front, and he opened it slowly. There were several images of a ‘forest’, the weird green thing Red had ended up in when he showed up in Sans’ ‘world’. Red flicked through it slowly, excitedly looking over rivers and waterfalls, squeaking as BB sat next to him. “HAVING FUN?”

“I wanna go to a waterfall!” He pointed eagerly and BB chuckled. “PERHAPS ONE DAY. NOW, RED, THERE’S SOME QUESTIONS THEY ASK AND WE’LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY?”

Red nodded, folding his magazine back together to listen. BB tapped on the weird tablet. “YOUR NAME, RED...ALTHOUGH YOU NEED A LAST NAME.”

“Why?”

“HUMANS ARE WEIRD LIKE THAT.” He looked at Red for a moment then back at the tablet. “RED SKELETON, EASY.”

“Yeah!”

“BIRTHDATE?”

“Um…” He shrugged, blushing. “I wrote it down on my calendar…”

BB nodded. “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, ALRIGHT? I’LL TELL THEM.” He clicked on, filling out a few things first. “ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING?”

“What’s that mean?”

“DOES ANY MEDICINE MAKE YOU SICK?”

Red shrugged and BB sighed, just nodding as he continued on. “YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT, DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR ALONG?”

Red grinned brightly, blushing. “This is the fourth month, halfway through. I have five more to go! I think.”

BB smiled back. “OH, THEN NOT VERY LONG AT ALL...OKAY...NO OTHER CHILDREN…?”

“He’ll be my first baby!” Red patted his belly proudly, giggling.

BB chuckled softly. “OK...YOU’VE NEVER BROKEN A BONE BEFORE THIS?”

“Not that I know about.”

“HOW MUCH YOU WEIGH? YOUR HEIGHT?”

Red gave a helpless shrug.

“THAT’S FINE, THEY’LL MOST LIKELY CHECK IT.” He tapped at the screen. “DID ANY OTHER DOCTOR BESIDES...YOU KNOW, EVER CHECK ON YOU?”

Red shook his head. BB sighed. “AND YOU WERE JUST CREATED BY HIM, NO..BIOLOGICAL FAMILY?”

Red shrugged again. “Sorry, BB...I don’t know all this.” 

BB sighed, leaning over to pat Red’s head. “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, I’LL TALK TO THE DOCTOR, OKAY?”

“Mm...okay…”

BB finished up the tablet, returning it to the front window and settling down next to Red, looking up at the TV on the wall as Red flicked through his magazine.

Time passed slowly, or to Red it did, fidgeting in his seat, bugging BB a bit to get him a cup of water, staring at the wall idly. Normally he could take time passing pretty well...but…

A nurse made of clouds opened the door, looking at a clipboard. “Red Skeleton?”

Red sighed as BB got up. “READY?”

“...no…” 

BB chuckled, steering the wheelchair through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The healing/doctor's orders are gonna be 'fly by the seat of my pants' ish since, you know...monster...leg...skeleton.
> 
> Yeah
> 
> And then...well, we'll see :)


	19. The Doctor's Appointment, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctor comes. He has news. It's not fun news, but it's news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit of a hard time with this one, trying to throw all the angst at Red lmao.

May, Red is twelve weeks pregnant.

The nurse was very kind, asking him about his pregnancy and he had any names in mind. Red slowly eased up as she talked, mumbling answers shyly as he rubbed his belly. She did have him stand to weigh himself, marking it on a clipboard as he sat down. “Ah, 50 pounds. A bit more than the average skeleton, but you’re technically two in one, aren’t you?”

Red giggled into his hands, grinning wider. “Y-Yeah! Baby helps!”

The nurse nodded, or rather, the clouds did some up and down movement. BB didn’t talk, letting Red poke out of his shell a bit. They couldn’t do blood pressure-of course-or pulse, but the nurse did have some odd sticky in her hand connected to a machine. “Will you summon your soul please?”

Red hesitated, gripping BB’s arm next to him. “W-Will it hurt?”

The clouds shook back and forth. “No no, it’s merely a quick check for any issues that aren’t apparent. You wouldn’t believe how many people came in with a whole different issue. This little device just shows it to us. Nothing more.”

Red gave a look to BB who nodded at him. “IT’S FINE, RED. I’VE DONE IT BEFORE.” Red shivered, hugging his arm, giving him a pleading look.

BB blushed, sighing softly. “ALRIGHT. CAN I DO IT FIRST TO SHOW HIM?”

The clouds moved again as the nurse cooed. “Oh, of course, dear. It’s always scary the first time.” 

BB summoned his soul, purple surprisingly, and the nurse put the sticky on it. BB didn’t seem phased, and the machine beeped. It showed his name, and stated that he had no aches or injuries at this time.

Red relaxed, nodding slowly. “O-Okay…”

He slowly summoned his soul, a red one upside down. The nurse peeled the sticky off of BB’s soul, letting him unsummon it and cleaning the sticky. “Okay, it’ll feel a tad cold.” She gently swept the sticky onto his soul.

He shivered, stiffening up. That WAS cold! Really cold! And then it went away really fast. He hated the cold.

The machine beeped, and instead of saying the same, it showed his name and printed off a slightly long piece of paper. The cloud nurse nodded again. “There we go! Easy peasy.”

She slowly peeled it off him, and he quickly brought his soul back in. “I’ll give this to the doctor, here, you two can go in room three.”

She led them around the corner, and BB led the wheelchair into the room, taking a seat next to Red. Red frowned. “How come it showed yours but not mine?” he pouted.

BB snorted, patting Red’s shoulder. “BECAUSE IT WAS TO SHOW YOU IT WOULDN’T HURT. THE MACHINE PRINTS RESULTS FOR THE DOCTOR.”

Red huffed, still pouting. “Okaaay...what’s that?” He pointed, and BB explained the many images of different things in the doctor’s office as Red pointed. Eventually he grew...a little bored of that and he tucked his hands around his belly, tilting his head at BB. “Wanna see the baby??”

BB chuckled, shifting in his seat. “SURE, LET’S SEE THE BABY BONES.”

Red happily tugged up his shirt to under his breasts, his shorts at least giving him some decency. The little alien looking baby floated just under the top of his belly. “He’s getting big! He’s got tiny tiny toes!”

BB chuckled, tugging Red’s shirt back down over him. “YES, HE DOES. DID YOU TAKE A PICTURE THIS MORNING?”

“I did! I put it in the book but he’s soooo small he didn’t show up so I circled it and…” he chattered on about the book he was making for the tiny baby, jumping when there was a knock at the door. He grabbed BB’s arm, holding on tightly as another cloud monster came in, this one a bit bulkier at the top, slightly darker clouds on the top of his head, little glasses on the front.

“Ah, Red Skeleton, yes?”

Red nodded nervously. “H-Hi.”

The doctor...smiled? Kind of? He took the stool, wheeling over to them both as he chuckled. “I’m Doctor Cumul. But you can call me Doctor C, or Cloud like the others do.” He took out a small folder, flicking open the page and turning it around to himself. “Now, let’s talk about your visit today, yes?”

Red looked at BB, who nodded at him gently and Red sighed. “M-My leg um, it...it’s really thin?” He shifted, pulling up the leg that once held the chain. Dr. Cumul wheeled back a bit, motioning at his leg. “May I touch?”

Red nodded nervously, holding onto BB again as the doctor lifted his leg up a bit, humming and gently tapping at the very much whiter bone. “Hmm. What happened? It’s quite thin, it’ll require a bit of treatment, for sure.”

Red shook his head at BB, hugging him tighter. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t want to talk about the chain, even though he told the others, but...it just...it made him feel…

...ashamed.

BB just rubbed a thumb over his hand softly. “RED’S A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. HE HAD A CHAIN AROUND HIS ANKLE THERE FOR YEARS. HE’S RECENTLY GOTTEN FREE AND WE’RE TRYING TO HELP HIM OUT.”

The doctor nodded. “We?”

“MY FAMILY AND I. WE’RE SKELETONS AS WELL, AND WE PROTECT OUR OWN.”

The doctor hummed, shifting to squeeze above the bone. “Does that hurt?”

Red shook his head. The doctor slowly squeezed the white bone. “Tell me when it hurts.”

Red started to whine after a moment, “It hurts!” He hid his face in BB’s shoulder, now his leg hurt!

Doctor Cumul tutted, gently setting Red’s leg down with a smile. “Don’t you worry, we’ll get you in tip-top shape no time. However, it’ll require injections, and a very special boot.” He flipped through the folder. “We’ll get that settled today, of course. Now there were a few concerns as well.”

Red huffed, peeking out around BB’s arm, his leg had stopped throbbing now. “Your bones in general are quite thin. Normally this is when one doesn’t have enough food, or magic, or in some cases, not enough exercise. You nap often, yes?”

Red nodded. “Nothing else to do-”

“HE DID.” BB cut him off. “WE’VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THAT, ACTUALLY. TRYING TO GET HIS INTEREST IN THINGS.”

The doctor nodded as Red shrugged. “Ah, of course. Sleep for a pregnant monster is highly important, however, if you’re napping out of boredom, that causes a negative effect. I’d like you to find one hobby, or something physical, to do every other day or every two days to do. Something to replace your usual nap.”

Red sighed, nodding. “I’ll try…”

Doctor Cumul smiled at him. “I’m sure you’ll succeed, Red. You seem like a very smart skeleton.” Red blushed, hiding a smile into BB’s arm. “Of course, another concern is the baby-”

:”Is there something wrong with him?” Red squeaked, already tearing up. Doctor Cumul shook his head, putting up a hand. “No no, not that we can tell, everything seems par for the course! However, we’re not equipped to handle pregnancies specifically, so you’ll have to get a special doctor for just your baby.”

BB nodded. “I HAVE HIM AN APPOINTMENT ALREADY.”

“Ah, wonderful. One last thing is, the scan indicated you had a few spiderweb cracks in your pelvis.”

Red blinked. “What’s that?”

The doctor tilted his head. “It’s a bit like a broken bone, except it’s more like a line that can get worse over time. The pelvis is one of the worst bones to get these in.” 

BB let out a rough sigh, nodding sharply. “RIGHT...AS HE’S PREGNANT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?”

The doctor rubbed his chin. “Well, I would say get him something comfy to sit on, like one of those donuts humans have. As he’s a skeleton, he would more benefit healing from any of you. We’d like to see how deep they are, but this would be a rather personal thing and so long as you take it easy, I don’t see why they won’t heal over time.”

Red nodded. “This would be bad for my baby, right…?”

“Yes, as when you give birth, you have a chance of cracking your pelvis. But this is also bad for you, Red, not just your baby. Now, I’ll send you on down to go get your leg fixed up, then come see me in a month okay?”

BB nodded for Red, who seemed morose now, rubbing his belly as BB started moving him out the door. He leaned back, peeking up at BB. “Why’s it all cracked?”

BB sighed. “I CAN ONLY GUESS, RED. LET’S NOT CONCENTRATE ON THAT. PAPYRUS IS THE BEST HEALER, WE’LL GET HIM TO CHECK YOU OUT.” 

Red nodded, going back to rubbing his belly, cooing at the happy feelings of the baby.

BB wheeled him down the winding corridor they were pointed to, a squid nurse leading them in to a small room. She propped Red’s leg up in the wheelchair, one tentacle grabbing what looked like a small winter boot. “I’m sorry you’re hurt, dear. It’s no fun is it?”

Red nodded. “It’s bad.”

“Sure is, hon. Okay, so here, watch this.” She opened the boot from the side, something watery and green on the inside. “Now, you can take it off to clean and such, but you need to keep this on over the hurt bone. Crutches are needed until it’s all healed up. We’ve also got some calcium shots, which should increase healing.”

Red gripped BB’s hand tightly, whining. “Will it hurt?”

The nurse cooed at him, another tentacle picking up a semi big syringe. “Oh, sorry dear, needles are never good. But it’s over in a second. Your family can do it so you don’t have to come back every day. They need to be done once a day, but it can be done any time,” she told BB, wiping a cold wipe over the small patch of bone. Red shivered, squeezing BB’s arm tightly as she pricked him with it, and then slid it free in an instant, pressing a bandaid on him. “All done! You’re quite brave, darling.”

Red shivered, peeking out behind BB’s arm. “I-I am?”

“Sure are! Alright, hold still.” She gently took his shoe and sock off, handing them to BB who easily held them under his arm. She slipped the boot over his leg, lining it up with the thin bone before shutting it, clamping it shut. “There we are! It’s a healing mixture, intended to increase the healing effects. Come back in a month, we’ll check it, alright dearie?”

Red nodded, blushing softly. “Th-Thank you…”

The squid nurse waved goodbye to him as BB wheeled him away. Red tilted back. “I like her.”

BB chuckled, shifting his grip on Red’s shoe. “YOU DO, HUH?”

Red nodded, tilting his head down as he cupped a hand over his belly. “She called me brave…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus will have to heal poor Red's pelvis. Poor, poor Red...


	20. Papyrus Hugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red comes home. He gets a treat and a hug!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, that's the chapter, Idk what more ya want from me lmao

May, Red is twelve weeks pregnant

BB had bought Red an ice cream on their way back (‘A TREAT, YOU SHOULDN’T EAT A LOT OF SWEETS’) and Red was entranced with it. It had chocolate on it with a cherry on top! He licked it slowly, giggling at the sweet taste as they parked at the house.

Red had tried some crutches at the store, but he complained at the pain in his arms while using them. Plus, it was very awkward to use and swing himself forward while also attempting to keep his belly safe.

BB, instead, just ensured no one left him alone and would just carry him around. Or let him lean on them as he walked. 

BB hefted Red out of the car with ease, and Red blushed, cuddling up as he ate his ice cream. “This is funny!”

“YES WELL, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO ALLOW YOU TO WALK WHICH WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR HEALING. NOW, COME.” He carted Red inside, Red intent on enjoying his ice cream.

The house was a bit quiet, a few of them at work or having to go do some chore or another. Papyrus was in the living room, vacuuming, stopping once he saw Red and BB. “OH HELLO! HOW DID IT GO? THAT’S AN INTERESTING...BOOT??” He squinted, tilting his head as BB rounded the couch, setting Red down on it with the yellow pillow, and Red tugged the blanket down once more over him.

“YES, IT HOLDS A HEALING POULTICE I ASSUME AND IS MEANT TO STRENGTHEN THE BONE.” BB straightened up, after patting Red’s head playfully and Red blushed, giggling as he licked his ice cream. BB looked over at Papyrus. “HE ALSO NEEDS SHOTS BUT I’LL DO THOSE. HE NEEDS HEALING.”

Papyrus bobbed his head, winding up the cord of the vacuum. “I MEAN, I ASSUMED, AS YOU WENT TO THE DOCTOR…?”

BB shook his head, crossing his arms. “NO, PAPYRUS. HE HAS...FISSURES IN HIS PELVIS, AND YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO HEAL SKELETONS. THE DOCTOR HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT WITH THE GROWING PREGNANCY, THEY MAY EXPAND AND SHATTER.”

Papyrus gasped, his mouth open. “OH DEAR! THAT’S VERY BAD THEN! I’LL HELP OF COURSE! HOW-”

BB shot him a dangerous look and Papyrus shut his mouth, putting the cord onto the vacuum, twisting his hands together. “OKAY, OKAY. WOULD YOU MIND GETTING THE STAIRS THEN? I THINK THERE’S A LITTLE MUD ON THEM SOMEHOW.”

BB scoffed, grumbling something as he walked out of the living room, something about mud and rain.

Papyrus smiled at Red who grinned back, ice cream smeared a bit on his cheeks. “I got a sweet treat!”

“YOU DID! IT LOOKS GOOD!” He took a few steps closer to Red, settling at the end of the couch. “I CAN HEAL YOU UP, BUT IT’LL FEEL A LITTLE WEIRD, OKAY?”

Red frowned, chomping on the cone and wiping his sleeve over his mouth. “How…?”

“AH, WELL, YOU SEE. I’LL UM, HAVE TO TOUCH YOU.” At Red’s wide eyes he held up his mittened hands. “NO NO! JUST, ON YOUR SHOULDERS OR BACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT! IT HELPS HEAL BETTER.”

Red shifted nervously, tugging at his blanket a bit before he nodded. “O-Okay...how should I…?”

Papyrus smiled at him, tugging his mittens off, his skeletal hands revealed as he wiggled his fingers. “I LIKE MITTENS. HMM. HOW ABOUT LEANING UP AND TUGGING UP YOUR SHIRT A BIT? THE CLOSER IT IS TO THE PELVIS, THE BETTER, BUT I DON’T THINK IT’D BE GOOD TO AH...TOUCH YOUR HIPS.”

Red shrugged, shifting to tug the blanket off him. He sat up, tugging up his shirt over his belly, giggling at his baby before looking up at Papyrus nervously. “Okay...n-now what?”

Papyrus leaned closer, holding his arms out. “HERE, LEAN IN, IT’S A BIT LIKE A HUG!!”

“What’s a hug?”

Papyrus’ face fell before he fixed it, smiling. “I’LL SHOW YOU!” He shifted closer, wrapping his arms around Red, his hands pressing at the small of Red’s back. At his coaching, Red slowly wrapped his arms around Papyrus’ shoulders. Papyrus squeezed him softly and Red squeezed back, relaxing at the warm healing magic spreading into his body.

This hug thing was pretty nice. He tilted his head to plop onto Papyrus’ shoulder, relaxing further as Papyrus sunk more healing magic into him. It wound around the ecto skin lightly, without purpose, before Papyrus forced it in a directions, spreading like a warmth over Red’s hips. 

It felt really, really weird then. It warmed up a little too much, making Red shiver, but it soon eased up, making Red sigh. Papyrus laughed softly. “DID THE DOCTOR TALK ABOUT THE BABY?” he asked, hoping to cheer Red up a little.

Red giggled softly, nuzzling into Papyrus’ neck as he nodded. “Mmmhmmm, he said we gotta go and get him seen! And he said no more napping.” he pouted. Papyrus laughed softly, cuddling Red now as the healing magic eased off. “THE DOCTOR HAS A POINT! NAPPING TOO LONG MAKES ONE LAZY!”

Red shrugged. “He said I have to do something different sometimes. I dunno what to do.”

Papyrus hummed, thinking. “WELL, YOU ARE PREGNANT...THAT PUTS AWAY RUNNING...PERHAPS A WALK? OH! SWIMMING! BLUE AND I HAVE SEEN MANY A ROUND HUMAN DO SWIMMING AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER!”

Red hummed in return. “Really? I need a suit, Blue said.”

“AND YOGA...I THINK BB HAS MORE IDEAS! HE’S GOOD AT MAKING LISTS.”

Red grinned, nodding. “He is! Am I healed up?”

Papyrus patted his back gently, letting him lean back out of the hug. “I CAN’T REALLY TELL LIKE THE DOCTOR CAN, I’D ACTUALLY HAVE TO LOOK, BUT I THINK YOU ARE!”

Red blushed, hugging his blanket around his legs. Papyrus nodded. “IT’S OKAY, I UNDERSTAND! YOU REST UP THOUGH, IT’S BEEN A HARD DAY! I’LL BRING LUNCH IN A LITTLE WHILE!” Red nodded, tucking his shirt back down and cuddling up into the blanket as Papyrus hopped away, grabbing the vacuum to put away.

Red hugged his arms around himself tightly for a moment. He liked that hug. But it wasn’t the same with his own arms. He frowned, sighing as he nuzzled into his pillow. Hmm...he wondered if he could get one of the others to hug him…

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hug!”

Cinnamon paused from where he had been taking off his coat in the doorway of the living room, staring at Red in confusion. “Um...what?”

Red made grabby hands again, a very serious look on his face. “Hug!”

Cinnamon raised a brow bone, looking over at Sans who had tossed his legs over the arm of the armchair. “We all had ta hug the lil mama, you gotta do it too.”

Cinnamon shrugged, shuffling over to the couch and leaning down to wrap his arms around Red carefully, letting Red hug him tightly with a giggle. Cinnamon chuckled, patting his back. “Not that I’m saying no to a good hug, but what’s the occasion?”

“Papyrus hugged me!”

Cinnamon nodded, as if this made all the sense. “Ah, only fair then, eh?” Red nodded, happily hugging him before letting him go reluctantly. Cinnamon patted his head, chuckling as he stood up. “Good hug then. How’d the doc go?”

Red perked up, easily filling in Cinnamon about his new boot and how he showed off the baby, skating over a few things. Cinnamon nodded along, knowing he would just ask BB anyway. “Well, that sounds fun. BB never gets me a treat after an appointment.”

Red giggled harder, tucking into his blanket. “I’m s-special.”

“Sure are.” He winked, tickling Red’s side before shuffling out of the room. “Gonna go change, bee are bee.”

“CINNAMON, NO TEXT TALK IN SPEECH!” came Blue’s voice from the kitchen. Cinnamon just snickered, hefting himself up the stairs lazily.

He headed to his and BB's room, stretching as he opened the door. BB was on their bed, glasses taped to his face as he scribbled something on a notepad. Cinnamon plopped on the bed, squirming to lay his head on BB's lap. 

BB didn't pause, his other hand coming up to pet Cinnamon's head. "WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU TOO." 

"mmhmm. What's shakin', bacon?" 

"PAPYRUS HAS SUGGESTED RED GO TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND DO SOME COURSES THERE. THEY HAVE A CLASS FOR EXPECTING MOTHERS, AND A 'PRENATAL SWIM CLASS'. I'M MERELY PLANNING IT OUT FOR HIM. HOW WAS WORK?" 

Cinnamon snickered into BB's thigh. "Almost blew up the science lab with the kids today. Too bad we have sprinklers." 

"FOOL." All the same, his hand never stopped petting Cinnamon's skull. "IF YOU BLOW YOURSELF TO KINGDOM COME, I'LL MERELY HAVE TO DRAG YOU BACK." 

"aw, thanks~" 

"HMPH."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you. Imagine. The little round belly. Bobbing around.
> 
> Hnnng the fluff, I'm dying.


	21. Meeting of the Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red goes to class. Red makes a few tentative friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Community centers are the fucking jam and you should support your local one bc no one else will and like  
look  
they're amazing  
and generally cost next to nothing to attend classes  
so I'm told

May, Red is twelve weeks pregnant

That Saturday, Papyrus and Blue had packed up with Red, after BB assuring them of the room number of the ‘expecting mothers’ course, and sent them on their way. Papyrus and Blue sometimes volunteered as lifeguards in the community pool, or just visited to play in the gym, so a few of the employees and guests recognized them.

Red was bundled up in Papyrus’ arms this time, his boot a little heavy to even let it dangle. He wore a slightly shorter shirt, this one green with a happy dragon with a baby dragon in her pouch. He had to wear real shorts today, and Sans had offered an old pair of basketball ones he used to wear.

They weren’t bad, they covered down to his knee, but they pressed against his hips a little too tightly. He didn’t like that.

He peeked over his arm as they entered the community center, Blue happily greeting the woman at the desk. She perked up, grinning. “Well hey hey hey, it’s the bone boys back again!”

“OH YES! ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS THIS TIME! KIND OF!”

“Official you say? Oooh, cool.” She laughed, turning to her computer. “So just guests today, then?”

Papyrus nodded as she started to type. Red peeked out again, staring at her, and she jumped a bit. “Oh! Didn’t notice ya, bud. Your uh, son, Papyrus?”

Papyrus flustered as Blue started laughing. “N-NO! RED IS A DISTANT FAMILY MEMBER, HE’S LIVING WITH US NOW!”

Red waved quietly and she ‘awwed’ over him. “That’s cool. Alright, you’re all signed in, go have fun guys.”

Blue saluted her, rushing down the hall as Papyrus hurried after her, Red giggling as he hugged around Papyrus’ neck. “She thought I was your baby!”

Papyrus laughed, nodding as they walked down a hall of doors. “WELL, I THINK IT IS BECAUSE I AM CARRYING YOU! A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CARRY SMALLER HUMANS ARE USUALLY THEIR PARENTS!”

“Ooohhhh….neat!”

Blue paused near a door, checking the sheet of paper in his hand. “OKAY! THIS IS IT. WE’RE A LITTLE EARLY.” He opened the door slowly.

Inside were a bunch of bean bag chairs, a long couch that tilted back a bit, a rolling chair, for some reason giant bouncing balls, and a corner with little blocks stacked up. The walls were painted in a nice little outdoors scene, little handprints on one wall, a big window facing the outside and letting in natural light.

There was one woman in, at a desk near the back out of the way. She was a human with big glasses and frizzled hair and she looked at them. “Hello! You’re early but it’s alright, take a seat anywhere!” She motioned around the room.

Papyrus looked down at Red who nervously pointed at the couch. Papyrus sat him on it slowly, adjusting him so he wasn’t in a weird position. “HOW’S THAT?”

“It feels good.” Red shifted. The tilt in the couch pressed up into his shoulders, which felt nice to the strain in his back, actually. “Thank you!”

Papyrus nodded, giving a thumbs up. “WE’LL BE BACK WITHIN THE HOUR, IF YOU NEED US, JUST TELL THE TEACHER AND SHE’LL FIND US!”

Red blushed, nodding as he laced his hands over his belly as Papyrus and Blue hurried out of the door. It was only for mothers, although BB said they had a class for parents or guardians as well to learn how to take care of the new infant.

Red smiled nervously at the woman as she came over, taking the rolling chair for her seat as she smiled at him. “Hello there, it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“M-My name’s Red. It looks nice here.”

“Oh, thank you, I took great care to decorate.” She leaned back, ruffling through a few papers in her lap. “Have you ever been to a class like this?”

Red shook his head, his legs swaying over the edge of the couch. “Um, no, I um...haven’t been many places.”

“That’s alright. So, first what happens is, everyone comes in, we make introductions, talk about our babies and pregnancies and spouses.” She flicked the pile of papers. “Then we’ll go over what to expect in the coming weeks, pause for snacks and water break and so on, then spend the last few minutes just talking. Okay?”

Red bobbed his head quickly. “Y-Yes!”

She smiled. “My name is Courtney, it’s nice to meet you Red. I do the class as a way to help out the community...and if I’m honest, I just love babies.” She winked and Red giggled, covering his mouth.

Slowly but surely a few other people arrived. Two human women, one with brown hair and one with half a shaved head and the other very short, bright purple hair, took the bean bags. The brown haired woman’s belly was small like Red’s, but the other was very round! It was...a little funny.

Three monsters arrived. One was another puff of clouds, and Red wondered if they were related to his doctor. Around their stomach was a thunderous looking mound, which actually rumbled every few minutes. They took a seat next to Red, smiling at him before they leaned back against the couch.

One was an odd sort of mermaid? She slithered in, wrapping herself around one of the balls and purring, leaning on it and cupping her scaly face in her hands. The other one was feathery, like the monster Red had met at the restaurant, but instead of having a belly, she had an egg in a carrier case, taking a seat next to the cloud monster and Red, giving a wave with a wing.

Courtney clapped, twisting in the seat a little to scoot up to the small group. “Alright! We have a new person here today! Let’s do our introductions, so he can feel at home.” She turned in her seat, smiling. “I’m Courtney, and I run the program here. I can answer near everything you need to know, and if I can’t, I’ll find it out.”

She motioned beside her and the mermaid shifted up a bit, sharp grin at Red. “My name is Androca. An-dro-sha. I’m seven months out with my clutch. I work at the local aquarium.”

Red gave her a wave with a smile, and she leaned back against the ball. The woman with brown hair smiled. “I’m Alice, three months on, and I’m just a stay at home wife now.” She laughed as the purple haired one spoke up. “Jax, eight months on, about to give this kid an eviction notice.” The others laughed and Red giggled. He...didn’t know what that meant but it sounded funny.

Jax looked at him. “I’m a tattoo artist, had to stop for a bit until kid pops out.” Red bobbed his head as the feather monster spoke up. “Por, our egg is four months out, so perhaps another two months to go, we hope. It’s our first!” She chirped, nervously smoothing a wing over the egg. “I work at the local school in the elementary.”

The cloud person tilted their head, smiling at Red. “My name is Raq, I’m due any day now, but this one is a little late. I worked as a security guard until I got too big, so I’m just waiting for the day I can take little cloud with me.” They patted around their mound of clouds, covered by a thin dress. “My species can attach to one another, so the infants often become ‘part’ of their parents until they are old enough to keep their form.”

Red nodded slowly. “Whoooa. That’s cool!” He squeaked and Raq smiled. “Thank you, dear.”

They were looking at Red now, and Courtney nodded. “Go ahead, just your name, if you want to tell how far along you are, and just a random fact although everyone here seemed to talk about their careers.” Some of them laughed, looking at Red who nodded.

“I-I’m Red! I’m about um, four months or so! Ummm…” He shrugged, tugging at his shirt lightly. “I like to nap?”

“Saaame,” hissed Androca, her tail flicking around the ball. “Naps are amaaaazing.”

The others all nodded in agreement as Courtney chuckled. “Alright, any announcements, news on the babies, spouses, life in general?”

Alice waved happily. “Yes! They were afraid the baby wasn’t growing but I got up to two inches a few days ago! He’s just a slow bloomer, they said.”

Jax gave a thumbs up lazily. “Sweet, you know babies though, they sure can’t be pushed around.” Alice snickered as Red giggled, hiding down a little in his seat as he tried to relax.

Raq spoke up in the soft voice they had, “Spire managed to find a nice open space for us when the baby comes, we’ve been spending more time there, but all it seems to do is make them more shy.”

Por gently pat their shoulder. “Oh Raq, they’ll come pretty soon, I just know it. Maybe the wind has to pick up for them to be able to get out?”

Raq sighed softly, ruffling their clothes. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. The wind has died down lately...but there’s a gust coming tomorrow. Let’s hope.”

Courtney nodded. “Of course. Anyone else? No? Okay, let’s go early to last first. Alice, at three months, let’s see…” She flicked through a small packet of papers. “Ah yes, the baby should start appearing more human, the increase in size is great as well. If you get nauseated, some people have reported that as well, but if it lasts longer than an hour, I would advise you to go to the hospital.”

Alice nodded. “Definitely, that first month nearly got to me.”

Courtney smiled, looking at Red. “Red, I’m sorry, I didn’t plan to look up skeleton pregnancies, but if you’re like humans, then at this stage, your baby has toes!” Red squeaked, peeking down at his belly. “I saw them! A few times. They like to kick a lot!!”

Jax laughed hard, grinning as she tossed her head back. “Oh shit kid, you don’t know the half of it! Just wait until they got no room, your soccer boy’s gonna do a number on ya!”

Red blushed, giggling as he hugged his belly. “I love him.”

Raq made an ‘aww’ noise as Courtney smiled. “Oh yes, those next few months, going to be something. Por, according to what I could find, they should be filling out the egg pretty good, and the egg should be warm.”

Por nodded, hugging the egg in the carrier on their chest. “Yes, I was a little afraid when they grew warm, but it doesn’t seem to have affected them!”

Courtney went around the room, and Red found he was...having a fun time, actually! Everyone gave silly stories about their own babies and he got to gush about how small his was, showing his belly off. The tiny baby soaked in the attention, spinning around and around in place.

They took a break, the ones able to get up without help bringing some snacks and waters to the others. Por brought a thing of nuts and a bottle of water for Red, who eagerly ate them up, while giving Raq two bottles of water.

Raq tilted them both to pour over their head, the clouds swelling for a moment before sinking back down as they sighed. “Thank you, dear.”

Por gave a thumbs up, chugging their own water.

Courtney passed out the packets with the info to everyone. “Red? Do you want to take a walk? Bathroom?”

Red shook his head, blushing softly. “I-I can’t walk with my boot on, my leg’s healing.”

Jax finished off her sandwich, patting her stomach. “What’d ya do? I knew one lady who broke both legs, she said giving birth was a biiiiitch when it happened.”

Raq tutted as Red perked up. “Oh! I had a chain on and it made my leg really bad!”

They paused, all looking at him. Courtney frowned. “A...chain, Red?”

Red was busy snapping his water open, nodding as he did so. “Uh huh, I cut it and got out, so I’m okay.”

Courtney nodded slowly, giving a slightly nervous grin. “Well, we’re glad to have you here, then.”

The others seemed uneasy after that, and kept giving Red strange looks. Soon enough the class ended, everyone bustling out the door as Red waited for his friends, jumping when Courtney placed a hand on his shoulder, a concerned look on her face.

“Red, are you in trouble?”

Red blinked, shaking his head a bit. “A-Am I supposed to be…?”

She sighed, giving him a soft smile. “No, honey, no. But well, you said you were chained up...that’s not good, and I was just worried about...whoever did it.”

Red relaxed a bit, she wasn’t mad at him! “Oh, yeah, no, I ran away! He can’t get here. I think.”

Courtney nodded slowly, then flipped through a small spiral, pulling out a pamphlet. “Here, Red. This is a DV survivor group. I think you would benefit going too, okay?”

Red held it in his hands, nodding, although he wasn’t sure what DV meant. “Kay! I’ll have BB look at it! He made all my doctor’s appointments and he’s real nice!”

Courtney chuckled. “Wonderful to hear you’re being taken care of. You and baby go and have a nice day, alright?”

Red bobbed his head as Papyrus skidded into the room, wearing a weird outfit with a tank top, pants, and a funny band around his head. “RED! I HEARD THE CLASS ENDED AND I CAME IMMEDIATELY! BLUE IS BUSY ‘KICKING THE BUTT’ OF MANY PLAYERS, BUT I THINK HE’LL BE DONE BY THE TIME WE GET THERE!” He leaned down, Red curling his arms around Papyrus’ neck as he lifted him, shifting to wave at Courtney.

“Bye Miss Courtney!”

Courtney waved back, a sad look on her face. “Goodbye, Red, take care. See you next week.”

And off Papyrus went, asking Red how class went, and Red gleefully showing him the papers that showed how far his baby was coming and about all the nice people he had met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone wants to see everyone's expressions when Red's age is revealed. Now that *this* has happened, I have a very fun, awful idea that will come about UwU


	22. Red feels...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has therapy. He didn't know he was feeling so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly setting up for other 'fun' things

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant

Monday rolls around, and it’s coming up on a week that he’s been here. Red knows this by the tick marks in his new calendar. He thinks for a minute, then flips the calendar through the months, counting days slowly, before finding the one date he had circled as his birthday. 

He wonders how this one will be.

There was a book at the...old...home, a book in which the character had a party for their birthday. Red had always gotten excited when his came around, tentatively asking Gaster if he could have one.

Gaster said he was made, not born, and shouldn’t expect a party for merely existing.

(Red had imaginary parties, but they weren’t the same.)

With his date now written down, he wrote a few other things scattered through the calendar book. Every Saturday, BB said that was his meetings with the other mama’s. He had an appointment today, but he didn’t write it down since it was happening today.

He had another that Thursday...and then BB said waaaay in the next month, they’d check his leg again. He wasn’t sure of the date, but the little calendar book had a small note space next to the month image, and he wrote ‘boot check’ on it for now.

Other than that, he didn’t have much planned, so he shut his book after marking the date, and then pulling on a long shirt for now until it was time to go, hobbling to the door to meet Blue and be taken down for breakfast.

Breakfast was still…somewhat of a chore. With his boot on, he couldn’t slide under the table, or speed off to the living room, when things got loud. If he got fidgety and nervous, one of the others would take him to the couch, sometimes taking a nap with him so he wouldn’t feel so lonely.

Today, after putting some stickers in his scrapbook in the living room, BB appeared after a moment, fully dressed. “READY TO GO? HM? THAT LOOKS LOVELY, RED.”

Red smiled up at him shyly, squishing one sticker down evenly over the image of his belly. He just couldn’t get the little baby in the middle! “Thank you! I’ve been working hard on it.”

BB nodded, walking over to him and holding out his arms. “YOU’RE DOING A GOOD JOB, COME, IT’S TIME TO GO.”

It said something that Red instantly raised his arms up for BB to hoist him up, knowing his scrapbook would be there when he got back. “Which one is this one? I forgot.”

“IT’S FOR THERAPY, AT LEAST TO START THERAPY.” They headed out the door towards BB’s car.

“What’s therapy?”

“IT’S WHERE YOU TALK THROUGH A FEW THINGS THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND.”

Red frowned, shuffling into the front seat when BB put him in. “Why can’t I talk to you? Or the others?”

BB paused, holding the door open for a moment. “YOU CAN, ALWAYS, RED. HOWEVER, THINK OF THE THERAPIST LIKE...YOUR CALENDAR. YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT, AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE...JUDGING YOU.”

Red shrugged, picking at the belt around him. He still wasn’t sure of this thing, but BB thought it was important. He nodded. “Okay…”

BB smiled at him, then shut the door, and off they went down the road again.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The waiting room for this place was different. There wasn’t anyone inside, except for the lady at the front...and a really, really tall plant. Red looked up at the plant in awe as BB went to check them in. He was in a wheelchair again, but this one had a softer seat. He tugged BB’s sleeve when he came back, pointing at the plant. “Look! It’s big!”

BB nodded, amused. “IT IS, INDEED.” He filled out some form, not asking Red any questions this time, seeming to have remembered his answers from before. It didn’t take long after he passed it to the receptionist for the therapist to open the door. “Red?”

Red looked up nervously, playing with the end of his shirt. He just rewore what he wore on Saturday, it was soft and the shorts covered him.

The therapist was very tall, and very big, and very furry. She looked like one of those bears in the magazine he saw at the last doctor, except she didn’t have a fish in her hands.

BB steered him over to her, and she smiled, slipping the clipboard in her paw into a large pocket on her brightly colored jacket. “Here, I have him. We’ll be done in an hour, alright?”

Red sniffled, hugging himself a bit. “BB can’t come with?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, dear, it’s just me and you.” BB touched his shoulder gently, smiling at him. “I’M RIGHT OUT HERE. OKAY?”

Red nodded sadly. He didn’t like this at all. The therapist took his handles, and BB stepped back, letting the door shut behind Red. BB sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. This was good for Red, even if Red didn’t see it that way.

BB sat down to wait, leg bouncing nervously. Time seemed to crawl, obviously to torment him. He sighed roughly, tugging out his phone to check on things.

No updates, although Cinnamon had sent him some memes that he rolled his eyes at, shaking his head in affection. He sent back ‘GET TO WORK’ to which he got ‘:P’. Typical.

Ten minutes...then twenty. Then forty. He texted Blue who had asked how it was going, eyes darting up when the door opened. He got up quickly, heading over. “HOW WAS IT…?

The therapist smiled at him. “We did well today, I think. Right, Red?”

BB looked at him. Usually, Red held himself in a tight ball, or when he was happy, upright with a small bend back due to the weight of the baby. But now..he was…

Just relaxed. His eye sockets seemed a bit raw, he cried obviously, but he seemed more...at peace, or at least, tired. “...yeah. It was. Nice.”

His voice was a little scratchy, but he smiled up at the therapist, before holding BB’s hand sweetly. “I’m ready to go.”

BB nodded, shooting a slightly confused look at the bear monster, before taking the wheelchair’s handles. “ALRIGHT, LET’S GO HOME.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The therapist wheeled him down a short hall, bustling him into a room. It was big, red walls around them, fuzzy carpet. There was one chair, obviously meant for the therapist based on the size, and a very comfy looking chair that had a handle on the side.

She stopped the wheelchair next to it. “Would you like to sit in this chair? I can help you out.”

Red nodded after a moment, and she gently helped him to hobble into the chair. She showed him the handle on the side, and that it let out a small shelf under his legs to be propped up. “That’s neat!” he squeaked.

She nodded, stepping over to settle in her chair, smiling. “It’s good to be comfortable during these talks. Now. My name is Lax. It’s nice to meet you.”

Red bobbed his head, fiddling with his shirt. “N-Nice to meet you, too.”

“Let’s get to know each other, okay? I ask you a question, you ask me, and that’s how we’ll go for a little bit.”

Red nodded again. Seemed easy enough.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Good. Um. Full! I ate breakfast...and then I did my scrapbook!”

Lax smiled, pulling a notepad from her pocket. “My, that does sound exciting. Now, you can ask me a question.”

Red thought for a moment, tapping his fingers together. “Do you have any babies?”

Lax shook her head. “No, not yet, I have been thinking about it however.” 

Red nodded, thrumming his fingers on his belly as she chuckled. “I was informed you were pregnant. How is your baby doing?”

Red brightened up, squirming in place as he sat up a little. “He’s so little but the nice lady at the group said he’s going to get better! And he has toes!!”

Lax laughed, nodding as she wrote something down. “Toes are very important for a baby. Your turn, dear.”

Red tilted his head back and forth, thinking. “What do you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mm, I dunno a lot of things...and I dunno what a therapist is? BB says you’re like a calendar…?”

Lax nodded slowly. “A therapist is...when someone sometimes is hurt, they go to the doctor. When someone has gone through something very bad or rough, they come to me. I help them think through it, talk it out. Have you ever had a problem that, when you talked it aloud, you figured out the answer?”

Red thought for a moment, nodding slowly. “Sometimes when I was cooking. I didn’t know teaspoons and stuff so I kept saying it out loud, and then I remembered!”

Lax laughed. “Exactly! Very good. It’s your turn, again.”

Red paused for a moment, wiggling his fingers against his shirt lightly. “Mm. What if-...do you get a lot of people?”

Lax tilted her head lightly, then nodded. “I do. A lot of people go through a lot of things.” She seemed to think a moment, then continued, “Would you like to talk a bit about what brought you in today?”

“BB did.”

Lax chuckled, wagging a finger. “Ah, you got me there. No dear, I mean, there was a reason he brought you in. Let’s talk about you for a moment.”

Red fidgeted again, looking uncomfortable. “What about?”

“How did you get your baby, Red?”

Red shrugged, looking down and curling up his good leg a bit. “I dunno.”

Lax hummed, adjusting the notepad in her hands. “I think you do, Red. You don’t have to tell me. Would you like to talk about your leg, instead?”

Red didn’t speak for a moment, looking down at his lap. The minutes ticked by, but Lax didn’t push. She merely sat with him, listening to the silence.

Eventually, Red spoke up.

“He was really mean to me.” His eye sockets seemed pinched. 

Lax nodded. “I imagine. Did he give you your baby?”

“Its my baby...not his.”

“Of course. He’s your baby.”

Red started to tear up, shoving his hands over his face as he started to cry. “H-He was so mean to me! But I miss hiiiiim!”

Lax softened, putting the notepad down as she leaned over, rubbing his back as he sobbed hard, shaking and tears streaming over his hands. “I don’t wanna miss him! He’s mean and hurt meee! But but…” He sniffled, rubbing sharply at his face.

Lax pulled over some tissues, helping him clean his face. He hiccuped, face scrunching up like he would start crying again. “It’s okay, Red. It’s okay to miss him.”

“It-It is?” He hiccuped. “But he was really mean...I don’t like him.”

Lax nodded. “I know you didn’t. Sometimes, however, our...minds are a little funny. What you’re missing is the ‘what used to be’ of him.”

Red whined, tucking himself into his shirt a bit. “I don’t like it. I don’t want it. But I miss my h-home and the bigness and G-Gaster,” he hiccuped, scrubbing at his face with the tissue again. 

Lax smiled softly. “It’s what you were used to. One can often miss what they were used to. Like a well fitting shirt, or someone saying ‘hi’ to us everyday. But now, you can rebuild your own version of normal, Red. It’ll take time, and patience, but I’m positive you can do it.”

Red sniffled, hugging his knee tightly as he peeked over it at her. “F-For my baby, right?”

Lax shook her head quickly. “No, Red. For you. You’re quite attached to your baby, and that’s not a bad thing, but not every single decision you make has to coincide with keeping your baby safe. At some point, you'll need to take a break and take care of yourself, without your baby. "

Red hiccuped, burying his face in his arms again. Lax sighed softly, then smiled. “Would you like to learn a trick to try and stop missing him?”

Red peeked out, nodding slowly, still sniffing.

“Whenever you feel this way, write a letter to him on a piece of paper. Say a few things, something you’ve wanted to say, something you wanted him to do, something you miss about him, whatever you please. Then, go and burn the letter.”

Red sniffled, shifting to sit up a little. “W-Why?”

“Well, this way you can work through the why’s of why you miss him. Sometimes our brains just take over, for a little while. So, write anything you please to him. Just, never send them.

Red nodded, looking down at his lap for a moment. “...I had a bad dream last night."

"Oh?" 

"...it scared me. Can I make it go away?" 

Lax nodded slowly. "In time. Dreams and nightmares…are hard to pin down. Right now your mind is trying to process everything. If you have another bad dream, I would suggest writing it down, and perhaps giving it a different ending than what you dreamt."

Red blinked, looking up slowly."...a different ending…"

Lax smiled. "Yes. Write it down, get a different ending. If that doesn't help, a small walk around at night would help tire you out, a glass of water. If it gets too scary, talking with your friends would be beneficial as well." 

Red thought about it for a moment, twisting his fingers into his shirt. After a moment, he gave a tired smile. "I love my friends." 

"Wonderful to hear, dear. I'd like to see you next week, is that alright?" 

Red nodded slowly, he seemed more tired now, and Lax helped him back into the wheelchair, winking as she handed him a sucker. "Here. I know how hard this can be. A sucker won't hurt, yes?" 

Red smiled, taking it and tucking it into his hands. "Thank you. My baby…I like suckers." 

Lax smiled. "They're certainly delicious. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red concentrates a lot on his baby, and while the skele boys are chill with it, he's also kinda...forgetting himself??
> 
> The moment he thinks about himself, it's unnerving and he goes back to his baby. 
> 
> But, he needs to take care of himself as well. Now that he's had a small breakdown that he instantly shoved to the back of his mind, wonder what he'll do now? 
> 
> Also
> 
> What bad dream did he have, I wonder =)


	23. Snippets of the Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red does some things for a few days. He's fine.
> 
> He's fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few little stories for the few days before Red's next check up :3

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant

Red had seemed a little withdrawn when they came home. BB assumed it was him being tired, and even though the doctor had requested less naps, BB didn’t see the harm in tucking him into bed for an hour.

Stretch was the one to retrieve him for lunch, and on their way down the stairs, Red tugged on his hoodie string. “Yeah, Cherry? What’s up?”

Red shifted, tugging a little and winding the string between his fingers. “Can...I have something?”

Stretch blinked, shrugging. “I mean, sure? What, for the baby?”

Red frowned, shaking his head. “N-No, I mean...for me? Please?”

Stretch chuckled. “Oh, yeah yeah, that’s fine. What is it?”

Red seemed to relax a bit, nuzzling up close to Stretch. “A journal? I wanted to write in it.”

Stretch shrugged again. “Sure, I’ll grab ya one at the store if you want. Anything specific in mind?”

Red shook his head, and Stretch set him in his seat, letting him dig into the warm rice and beans for the day.

Stretch had left that afternoon, coming back with a slightly small journal with a space for Red’s name on the front. He tapped Red’s shoulder playfully as he passed the couch, slipping the journal into his lap with a few different colored pens. “Here ya are, Cherry. That okay?”

Red blushed, hugging the journal to himself, quickly nodding. “Y-You can’t read it!”

Stretch shrugged, plopping in his chair. “A’ight.”

“...really?”

“Yup, it’s aallll yours.”

Red seemed to cheer up at that, and was back to his cheery self during the day. Stretch felt like, somehow, he’d passed some test. 

That night while they set up Movie Night, tucking Red in the middle of the couch, he was scratching away at the journal, eye lights flickering back and forth quickly. Sans, of course, was curious and had already thought up a few playful puns, but Stretch had elbowed him and shook his head, knowing what Sans was wanting to do.

This was Red’s thing, and it felt like something that couldn’t be undone if they intruded on him.

A few minutes into the movie, Red tucked the journal under the blanket, leaning on Sans with a happy smile, giggling at his jokes.

They didn’t bring up the journal, or even ask what he wrote about. Sometimes Cinnamon would catch him writing and already awake in the mornings, or Blue would find him covered in pen marks from swiping his hand over the pages accidentally. 

BB put his foot down when Red tried to bring the journal to write at the table. Red seemed hurt but BB gently explained that while he was happy Red found a hobby, he had to stop sometimes and do other things, like eat and socialize and exercise his leg. Red reluctantly agreed, and while he seemed upset at BB for a bit, he quickly went back to hugging him on the couch after dinner.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Take our picture!” 

Red held up the camera to Cinnamon. Cinnamon chuckled, taking the camera easily. He had just taken Red up to bed when Red had pulled the little camera from his bedside table. “Alright, you and baby or just baby?”

Red’s face furrowed in thought, then grinned. “Both!”

Cinnamon gave a thumbs up. “Alright, lay back, shirt up a bit and we’ll take a pic.” 

Red squirmed to lay back against the pillow, tugging up his night shirt a bit just over the swell of the baby. Cinnamon held up the camera, fidgeting it a bit before snapping a shot. In the image, Red was blushing with a smile, the little baby floating away in peaceful slumber.

Red squeaked. “Yay! Now baby.”

Cinnamon nodded. “Now, baby.” He leaned in a little, since the camera didn’t exactly have a zoom, and carefully took a picture of the small funny looking baby.

Right now he seemed to have too big of a head, small toes that curled, several ribs still being made, and his eye sockets shut. But Red cradled the image with a coo. “My baaaaby, Cinnamon!”

“Sure is, he’s adorable. Gonna stick it in the scrapbook?”

Red nodded quickly, stacking the two pictures together and laying them on the bedside table, before tugging Cinnamon for a hug. “Thank you! I love them!”

Cinnamon patted his back, putting the camera away. “Of course, no probs. You go on to sleep, see ya in the morning.”

Red smiled at him, tugging the blanket up above his shoulders as Cinnamon left the room, flicking the light off. They had gotten him some glow in the dark stars, decorating the top of the ceiling to prevent it from being fully dark.

Red stared up at the ceiling for a while. His hands were curled up close to him, clutching the blanket as he stared. All he did was stare, and he continued on, until exhaustion scraped at his eyes, and he could no longer keep his eyes open. He plunged into an uneasy sleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I-I don’t know about this, Blue…”

Blue had taken Red to the maternity water aerobics class at the community center. He’d went with Red to buy a swimsuit beforehand, along with BB, however they found that most one pieces made Red uncomfortable.

They’d had to get a two piece, the bottom had a skirt around it with shorts, and the top tied around the back of Red’s neck, while leaving his belly open.

Blue was kneeling in front of him, unbuckling his boot slowly. “IT’S OKAY, RED! I’LL BE WITH YOU, I PROMISE!”

Red nodded, wishing he had his long shirt to hide in as Blue stood up, wrapping his arm around Red’s waist and helping him up slowly. 

They also had to get a pair of water wings, mostly because Red couldn’t swim and had never known how...but also because Red saw them shaped like tiny little ducks and gave BB ‘the look’.

Red hugged onto Blue as he led them to the stairway near the pool, slowly stepping in. Red shivered, the pool was a bit chilly at first, but as they took a step into waist deep water, it was pleasantly warm. “Oh!”

“SEE? IT’S GOOD!” Blue slowly let Red go, letting him test his legs in the water. It wouldn’t hurt to take the boot off for a while, but they didn’t want to test their luck either.

There were a few women already in the pool, one or two accompanied by a spouse, most of them alone.

The woman at the front blew her whistle, clapping. “Alright ladies! Let’s warm up! Walk around the pool as far as you can a few times, then we’ll start the class.”

Red held onto Blue with wide eyes, his water wings squeaking. Blue smiled. “IT’S OKAY! WE WON’T GO FAR. READY?”

Red nodded against Blue’s shoulder, and slowly they walked through the water. Red found it pretty...nice, actually. His back felt nice, and his belly wasn’t as heavy, and he could finally walk on his own without the boot!

He still didn’t let go of Blue, though. It was comforting.

They gathered back together in a small crowd, the lady now standing on the concrete near the pool. She showed them a few moves, doing squats or kicking on their back.

Red shifted, pouting. “I can’t kick.”

“TRUUUE. UNLESS I HOLD YOU!”

Red giggled, pushing Blue a little. “No way! I’m too big!”

Blue laughed, splashing him playfully. “I CARRY YOU EVERYWHERE!”

“...so!” Red stuck his tongue out, both of them giggling as they splashed. No one paid them any mind, a few women cutting off into groups to gossip or talk, the ones with spouses just walking in circles or doing a few exercises while talking.

Blue hummed. “HOW ABOUT I DRAG YOU THROUGH THE WATER? I THINK THAT’S EXERCISE!”

Red shrugged, nodding a bit nervously. “O-Okay…”

Blue had Red shift a bit, letting the water pick him up and holding onto Red’s hands. Red kicked a little now that he was floating, giggling as Blue pulled him through the water. It was fun! 

This went on for a while, either playing around or being dragged through the water. Red could feel his eye sockets drooping by the time it was done, barely being able to trudge after Blue as they got out of the water. Blue helped him to the stands, wrapping him in a towel. “HERE, LET ME GO GET OUR CLOTHES, OKAY?”

Red nodded, nuzzling into the towel. “Mmmkay…”

Blue hurried to the locker room, a few of the others grabbing their own items. One woman waved at Blue. “You two are certainly adorable!”

Blue laughed, blushing softly. “O-OH THANK YOU! SORRY, I HAVE TO GO AND GET HIM DRESSED SO WE CAN HEAD HOME FOR LUNCH!”

The woman laughed, and Blue’s entire face burned bright as her words echoed after him,

“You’re a sweet daddy!”

(He wasn’t sure why he blushed, he wasn’t Red’s baby’s dad, but when he came out of the locker room and Red smiled at him sleepy and happy, his soul did a little skip beat.

Well. It doesn’t mean he couldn’t give his all in helping, right?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ages are FUCKING HARD
> 
> So you know what
> 
> Red=15 as of now  
Stretch=27  
Blue=18 (when Gaster disappeared for them, Blue was three and Stretch was 12)
> 
> Sans=25  
Papyrus=20
> 
> BB=26  
Cinnamon=23
> 
> Yeah that's right, Cinnamon's younger, boom lmao
> 
> Also, Stretch and Blue had no relations before Blue turned of age, p much they started after being in the Classic universe and got with the other two  
also these are 'human' ages, I'd say they stop counting after a certain age (if you don't age until you have kids, then what does it matter?), so like with skeletons, they know the approximate age, like they know when to get out of stripes, but after that it's a vague 'oh hey it's your bday'
> 
> So Blue is out of stripes and has been for, to him, years. Every so often they all remember they were born on Halloween and have a party and up their age
> 
> But, in Blue's mind, he's still...what you'd equate to a teen, so him being attracted to Red isn't so weird to him, because he assumes they're either the same age or Red is a little older to him.
> 
> This is all to say that I hate keeping track of ages except for Red's bc it's angsty that way, but also to say BB glares at Stretch who is the 'oldest' lmao
> 
> (it's kinda like that part in Night Vale "Oh yeah back in high school."  
"How long ago was high school, Cecil? You can't remember, can you?"  
like you just roll with the years after a while haha)


	24. Baby Picture!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has a check up, again, and a small breakdown.
> 
> It's probably nothing, won't ever happen again, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy howdy. Did not know where I wanted to take this but yeaaah

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant

Today was a very important day! Today, BB explained that Red had to go see the baby’s doctor! It was exciting! And...a little scary. But Blue would be accompanying them this time, happily holding Red’s hand in the car on the way there.

Red had on a button down shirt today, it had small buttons with long sleeves and a cool ‘gingham’ pattern as Cinnamon had called it. Blue had managed to convince him he couldn’t wear just the boxers today, opting to go with a set of very soft, but long, pants that didn’t squeeze his hips.

BB had bustled them into the waiting room, spiriting off to go and fill out paperwork again. Red looked around, fiddling with Blue’s hand. There were a lot of people here. Some had little kids with them who played with the toys in the waiting room. One looked like his new friend, Alice! But she had a bigger belly and a little boy on her lap, making silly faces at him.

Blue smiled at Red, wiggling his thumb against Red’s hand. “YOU OKAY?”

“Uh huh. What’re they gonna do?”

Blue shrugged. “MM, I DON’T REALLY KNOW, BUT I KNOW IN SOME MOVIES, THEY USE A FUNNY MACHINE AND TAKE PICTURES UP CLOSE OF THE BABY!”

Red pouted, wiggling their hands against his belly a bit. “I coulda done that.”

BB popped back into view, taking a seat near them elegantly. “THAT IS NOT ALL THEY DO. THEY ENSURE THE BABY IS GROWING AS NORMAL, AND THAT YOU YOURSELF ARE DOING WELL.”

Red nodded slowly. “Oh...will it hurt?”

“I CANNOT SAY.”

Red pouted, leaning back in the wheelchair BB had gotten for him. He was feeling the tiniest bit antsy with being carted around or stuck in a chair all the time. Blue distracted him by showing him a neat magazine with bright colors and different babies in it, and they giggled and cooed over the cute pictures.

Red was called to the back by a slightly goopy monster who had him weigh again, and then measured around his belly. He was a bit ticklish, and kept squirming, but the monster merely laughed with him. “You’re growing very well, little mama. Here, come this way.”

They led the group to a room, with a weird table that sat up so that someone’s legs would be just barely over the edge. Red looked a bit confused, but BB and Blue helped him up onto it, settling him back against the small padded part of the table. “Oooh...that feels good!”

Blue giggled at him, leaning against the bed as BB moved the wheelchair to the side. “IT LOOKS COMFY!”

Red bobbed his head excitedly. “It feels really nice on my back!”

The goopy monster nodded, putting down a clipboard as she tugged a small monitor over. “Yes, it’s a cushion to help with back pain. Most patients complain about it so we’ve integrated them in all the beddings. Could you tuck your pants down a bit and pull open your shirt?”

Red fidgeted with the buttons, tucking the parts of the shirt under his arms a little and shifting to tug his pants down under his belly. “I don’t like that too well, it squeezes a little.”

“I know, I’m sorry, but it’s the best way for the doctor to peek at the baby. She’ll be in momentarily.”

Red nodded, jumping as she tucked a little paper blanket into the waistband of his pants. “There, good to go.” And then she left.

Red sighed, plopping his head back on the bed/chair. “Waiting is booooring.”

BB chuckled. “I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED YOU WERE A VERY PATIENT PERSON, HONESTLY.”

“BB, it’s booooring.”

BB shook his head as Blue hugged Red. “IT’S OKAY! WANNA PLAY ON MY PHONE?”

Red shook his head. He still had no idea what the phones really were, they seemed to do a lot of things, but they held no fascination for him so far. Instead, Blue started up a chat about different things, sometimes talking about when he and Stretch were kids, to get Red’s mind off the waiting.

Eventually, the doctor knocked and came into the room. At first glance, she appeared as a human, but on further examination, she was actually an orange see-through jelly monster. Some bones floated inside, and her brain was able to be seen as well, despite having a face and what appeared to be hair. It was a darker color than the rest of her, and it could fool someone if they didn’t look too hard.

She smiled, dragging a chair with wheels and a back on it over close to Red, taking a seat. “Hello there. I’m Doctor Anya. How are you today?”

Red blushed, tugging at his shirt lightly. “ ‘m fine. I’m Red!”

She laughed softly. “Oh good, I’m glad to hear it. Ah, and your friends?” She looked over. BB nodded sharply. “I’M BB. THIS IS BLUE.”

Blue waved eagerly at her and Anya chuckled. “Pleased to meet you all. Now, Red, have you ever had to go to an OB-GYN? Or been pregnant?”

Red shook his head quickly. “Nuh uh, dunno what that is. And this is my first baby!” He squeaked, patting his belly softly.

“The first is always an exciting time, isn’t it? Alright then, so here’s what we’re doing today.” She picked up the folder on the side, tapping it on the desk before bringing it onto her lap. “All the usual examinations, but as you’re a monster and a skeleton, some of them we won’t do. Like vital signs and the sort. We will test the baby’s magic bond and see how that’s going, and then do the normal routine of checking your body, check the baby, and measure growth.”

Red nodded. “O-Okay. Will any of it hurt?”

Anya tilted her head a bit. “...some patients do complain of a bit of a pinch or tug with the pelvic examination, but it won’t hurt exactly. I promise.”

Red relaxed nodding quickly. “O-Okay. What first? Baby picture?” He squeaked excitedly and Anya laughed. “Everyone wants that first. First a quick exam of you, alright?”

Red bobbed his head and Blue and BB stepped back to let her stand up near Red. She had him twist his head up, peering into his eye sockets with a tiny light, had him open his mouth, nodding. “Everything looks good here. I’ll need you to take your shirt off, your friends can go outside…”

Red whined, curling up into his shirt as he shook his head. “No! I don’t want them to leave!”

The doctor looked at the other two skeletons and BB nodded. “RED WAS IN A VIOLENT SITUATION AND HAS SINCE COME TO LIVE WITH US.”

The doctor made an ‘aahhh’ sound, then smiled at Red. “Alright, it’s fine. If it makes you comfortable, they may stay. However, I’ll still need you to take your shirt off so that I can examine you, okay?”

Red nodded nervously, shifting to sit up and unbuttoning his shirt. He wiggled a bit, stuck in his sleeves and Blue helped him out of it gently, folding it up to put on a chair nearby. Red blushed brightly as he leaned back, the seat a little cold now that it touched his bare back and bones.

Anya smiled at him. “Alright, I’m going to touch your breasts, but only for a moment, okay? If it hurts, please tell me.”

Red nodded and she slid a hand to cup one, fingers tapping around his skin for a moment, then the other with a nod. Red tried not to shudder away, but not out of pain.

“Did that hurt?”

“N-No, um, uncomfortable.”

Anya frowned, skating her fingers around the ecto lightly. “I don’t see any bruises or anything. Is it just in general, then?” Red shrugged, nodding slightly. She removed her hand and he sighed, ducking his head down a bit.

Anya smiled at him. “I’m sorry, I know. But the good thing is, you appear very healthy.” She gently cupped her hands around his belly, smoothing her thumbs over the taught ecto. He giggled a bit, squirming. “T-Ticklish!”

“Ah, sorry, haha. Just one last thing, okay?” She grabbed a tape measure, placing it somewhere below the middle of his stomach, going down low, then pulled it away. “Very good, everything seems in order and going well.”

Red shivered in the cold room, rubbing his arm a bit. “Is that all? What about the baby picture?”

Anya laughed, taking a seat as she tugged the monitor a bit closer. “Oh I see how it is. No, there’s more, but let’s get the ultrasound out of the way.” Red perked up, nearly vibrating in excitement as she started it up. She looked over, seeing his boot. “Oh my, what happened?”

“I had a chain!”

Anya frowned, looking over at BB while Blue had hugged up to Red’s side, gushing about the baby picture with him. “PART OF THE VIOLENT SITUATION. HIS BONE IS VERY FRAIL THERE BUT IT’S HEALING.”

Anya nodded, going back to her machine and typing. “Ah, very good then. The farther along a pregnancy, the harder it is to keep balance in general much less when your leg is injured. Alright, Red, ready?”

Red squeaked, nodding excitedly as she picked up a tube. “This helps me look, but it’s a little hot. Ready?”

Red nodded, holding Blue’s hand tightly as she squirted some weird junk on his belly. It felt nice after a minute, and she took a funny wand and wiggled it through the junk, sliding it slowly around. “The good thing about ecto...is I know where the little guy is hiding out…”

She looked from the monitor to Red’s belly, adjusting the wand right over the small sleeping baby. She clicked something, then turned around the monitor.

On the screen was the tiny funny looking head and she pointed around it. “See this? That’s his little head. Right now it seems funny, and he may end up with an elongated skull, but that’s par for the course with skeleton monsters.” She moved the wand a little bit, showing his body better. “Everything’s forming on course...want to see something neat?”

Red nodded, tearing up at how cute his baby was on the screen.

Anya slowly moved the wand in a circle. “C’mon baby...there we go…” The baby flexed, kicking a little, and then the tiny hand moved up to his mouth, sucking on his thumb. Red gasped. “Oh! He’s eating his hand!”

Anya laughed, tapping something on her computer. “No no, when babies self soothe, or get a little bored, they suck on their thumb. At this stage, it’s more that he’s finding out how his body is working, so this is a good thing!”

Red tugged on Blue’s hand, pointing at the image. “Look! My baby!” Blue nodded, sniffling himself. “BB!!! THE BABY!”

BB rolled his eyes, stepping closer as he thumped Blue’s cheek with his finger. “YOU OVERDRAMATIC SKELETON. BUT YES, HE’S CUTE.” He smiled softly as the doctor printed off an image, handing it to Red. “This is yours, you can show it off or keep it as a keepsake.”

Red cradled it in his hands, cooing at it. “He’s so little and sweet and I love him!”

Anya plucked a few tissues up, handing them to BB. “Here, clean up his belly, it gets sticky and no one likes that. Okay, Red, baby’s growing on schedule! He should have the ability to project his voice, and he’s making up all the good stuff of his body.”

Red nodded, squirming as BB cleaned him up, BB tickling his side playfully. “O-Okay! BB, mean!” He pouted as BB snickered, tossing the tissues away. “What now…?”

“A pelvic examination, and while some doctors also do the measurements around this time, I wait until later in the pregnancy when the hips expand.”

Red just stared at her and Blue blushed. “A-AH, I GUESS, WE SHOULDN’T BE IN HERE…?”

Red whined, hugging his arm, ignoring the fact he was still shirtless. “No!”

Anya chuckled. “Not to worry, we have a sheet to go over him for privacy. Give me a few minutes to get everything together, okay?”

BB nodded at her as she left the room and Red whined, making grabby hands for him too. BB chuckled, reaching out to let Red hold his hand. “What’s a peeelvic exam?”

“AH. WELL. IT’S THAT THING WITH THE SPECULUM ISN’T IT?” BB looked at Blue nervously. That one he wasn’t entirely sure about, but Blue nodded.

“THEY UM, LOOK INSIDE YOU! WITH A METAL THING. IT’LL STING A BIT BUT IT’S NOT SO BAD!”

BB squinted at him. “HOW DO YOU KNOW?”

Blue looked away with a bright blush. “I-I JUST DO!”

BB kept antagonizing Blue with questions as Red thought for a while. He wished he had his blanket. The doctor would look in him? With...a metal thing?

He sucked in a breath, nearly breaking Blue’s hand as he squeezed it tightly-

Sharp clicks as he was stretched out, screaming, Gaster insulting him or ignoring him, fingers touching him inside too far and too harshly, no no no-

Red cried hard on Blue’s shoulder, Blue rocking him with a very confused and slightly scared look at BB, who shrugged, just as confused. Red coughed, he had broken his voice screaming in that short time. “Nonono, don’t want it, did that, hurts, nononono…”

BB’s expression darkened, and he gently placed his hand on Red’s side. “IT’S ALRIGHT, RED. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT, IT’S OKAY…” They tried to comfort him, but he was crying too hard, gasping as he could barely get his breath, shuddering against Blue.

The doctor came back in with a wide eyed look. “What’s going on?! What happened? I could hear him out in the hall.”

BB looked over, sighing as Red started crying louder. “WE’RE NOT SO SURE, BUT I THINK HE’S HAD A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE WITH...THAT...THING.” he motioned at the metal in her hand.

Anya looked from it back to BB, making a face. “Oh dear. Unfortunately, he’ll need one in the future, to ensure there’s no chance of him losing the pregnancy...we don’t have to today.” She turned around, giving it to a passing nurse, and shutting the door, walking in to the small group.

Red was shaking, his sobbing having stopped but his tears still running, jerking when she touched his shoulder. She smiled at him softly. “I’m sorry I scared you, Red. We don’t have to do that today, okay?”

Red hiccuped, looking at her. “W-We don’t? It’ll h-hurt a lot…”

“I understand. Not today, okay? You and your baby are very healthy, but you need to calm down, okay? You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Red whined, hiding his face in Blue’s shoulder. Slowly he stopped crying and hugging Blue so tightly, pulling back a little to swipe at his eyes. “I’m s-sorry…”

Anya shook her head, sitting in her chair. “You’re alright. It’s okay. From what I can tell, you’re having an easy pregnancy, but I’d like to see you in four weeks to do a check up, okay?”

Red nodded morosely, sniffling as he wiped at his eyes. “N-No metal thing.”

Anya hesitated. “...well…how about a deal?"

Red peeked up at her, sniffling. "Deal…?" 

"Yes. If you continue to feel okay, and there's no stress on the baby, we won't really have to do one. But if you feel really, really bad, or the baby gets really lethargic, we'll have to see what's happening, okay?" 

Red sniffed, looking over at BB who nodded. "IT'S TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR BABY SAFE, RED." 

Red nodded, hiccuping softly. "Will it h-hurt?" 

"Most likely not, however if it does, we’ll stop, okay?” Anya smiled at him. Red nodded, hugging his belly. “I wanna go home now.”

BB looked at the doctor who nodded. “Of course, it’s been hard, hasn’t it? Everything seems to be going according to schedule. If there’s an emergency, either come back or go to the emergency room. Alright, I’ll leave you to get dressed then.” She gently touched Red’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to have scared you, but I’ll be happy to see you again, okay?”

Red grinned up at her, his eye sockets a little red. “Okay! I wanna see more pictures of my baby!”

Anya laughed. “Of course! Goodbye then.” She headed out the door, leaving Blue to help Red back into his shirt while trying very hard not to stare...or accidentally touch. Red sniffled every so often, and BB cleaned his face with a little cloth. “THERE NOW, HOW ABOUT WE GO HAVE A LITTLE CHOCOLATE, HM?”

Red squeaked, gasping as he hugged BB in return. “Yes! Please!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red flashes everyone his belly at any moment, he's not too concerned on the nudity, so Gaster didn't really screw him up there.
> 
> I mean. Technically. 
> 
> But ah, he's done quite a bit of harm in other places, for sure. 
> 
> Also also: I may have to adjust how his age is revealed, realized my other way was a bit too...eh. But oh. Oh you'll hate the next chapter 
> 
> =)


	25. The Reveal, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has a bad night. Cinnamon is lazy getting gas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo this ended up having to be split between two chapters lmao

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant

It started with the bad dream. It woke him up, panting in the dark of his room, shaking under his blanket and sweating a little.

He curled his legs up, rocking his hips with a whimper.

It wasn’t enough.

Slowly he sat up, pushing the blanket off his body. He had stripped off his night clothes, it was getting hot in the house, and besides, he was more used to that than wearing nightclothes. 

Red bit his tongue, wincing as he shifted in place. He could still feel it, the phantom bad dream, the ghost touches…

He reached behind his favorite pillow, the one with two little armrests, to a fluffy pillow that he sometimes used for extra support. He squeezed it in his arms, hiding his face for a moment, before an idea sparked in his mind, slowly like a flickering flame.

His face blushed as he peeked over the pillow. No one was around...it would be hard, with boot but…

He shifted, settling the pillow in front of him, then dragging his body on top of it, squeezing the pillow between his thighs. He squeezed his eye sockets shut, letting out a soft gasp as he rocked against the soft cloth.

He wasn’t sure, exactly, what it was, but it felt good, and he kept doing it. He rocked back and forth, panting as his thighs shook, one hand shakily slipping down to touch himself curiously and -

“Quit being a baby, it doesn’t hurt-this is quite fun-just take it-”

Red’s hand shot back like he’d touch the hot pan Papyrus used to cook with a cry, but it didn’t stop his hips pressing down against the pillow, smearing something sticky against it as he gasped, panting harshly into the silence of the room.

For a moment, he sat there, panting, his breaths slowing as the nice buzzy feeling faded away. He stared into space for a moment, then shifted off the pillow, letting it fall to the side as he stood up on the floor.

Slowly he limped to the doorway, cracking it open to wiggle through, dragging his leg a bit as he went through the hallway, hand feeling on the wall for the next door. He opened it, flicking on the lights and closing the door, limping to the toilet (he wasn’t sure why they had it, or what it’s true purpose was, but Papyrus had said ‘AESTHETIC’ and ‘WHAT IF A HUMAN VISITS?’ so he just rolled with it) and immediately vomited into it.

He sunk to his knees, sobbing as he couldn’t gagged, shaking and coughing for a moment. Eventually, he just ran out of steam, and he tugged the seat of it down, clunking his head on top of it for a moment.

With a shudder, he raised his head up, pushing himself up, and started out of the bathroom, switching the lights back off. He made it back to his room, and blatantly ignored the pillow on the floor with a stain on it as he tucked himself into bed, shaking as he tried not to think too hard on what just happened.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Normally when Cinnamon went to work, he took his bike, a shiny motorbike that he let Red sit on outside and pretend he was driving. BB had put a ban on Red riding on it until he had the baby.

Unfortunately, Cinnamon had gotten up to a bike on empty. His brother’s attempts to smack into him the need to check for gas every day hadn’t gotten through, it seemed. Cinnamon would normally just teleport, but after complaining a bit at breakfast and BB’s mocking offer of driving him to school like an errant student, Red had peeked up at him with big eyes. “Can I go too??”

How could he say no to that? That’s like. Illegal.

So BB had packed them up into the car, Red attached to Cinnamon’s side and asking him all sorts of questions. What were the kids like? What was a cafeteria? Who was in charge of him? Did they ever get to go outside?

Cinnamon easily answered them all, sometimes teasing Red a little with a bit of an embellishment, until they pulled up to the entrance of the school. BB looked at him in the rearview mirror. “GET OUT AND RUIN SOME BRAINS THEN, GO ON.”

“Sure sure, bro.”

Red scrambled to lean against the window, now that he knew how to work it, eyes bright. “Can we pick you up too?!”

Again, it was illegal to say no to that face. So he said sure. BB rolled his eyes, but wished him a good day as they rolled out of the parking lot.

The day rolled by slowly, quizzes passed out, a movie watched in one class, more quizzes, scolding of two rowdy kids, and then the day was done. The principal, the once Queen Toriel, had caught up with Cinnamon as he lazily headed for the door. “Cinnamon! Dear, I’d like to talk to you about the final tests?”

“Oh yeah, sure, what’s up?”

He could see BB’s car pulling up, and BB made some kind of movement he couldn’t see as Toriel spoke with him, adjusting her glasses and smoothing down her purple outfit. Red had found the way to roll down the window again, and he squealed, “CINNAMON!!!”

Cinnamon chuckled, waving a hand back at him. Toriel chuckled, waving along with him. “A new relative of yours?”

“Eh, kinda, he’s ah, been in a spot of trouble, we took him in.”

Toriel tutted softly. “Oh poor dear. Introduce me? You know I can’t resist meeting new children.”

Look. Cinnamon had worked with Toriel long enough that she called HIM a child. Or, in one instance that led to several children squealing in laughter, “My darling boy.”

Toriel was older than anyone here, so honestly, they WERE kids to her. So he didn’t think anything of it, you know?

He should have, but again, it was so normal that he just tossed it right out the window of his mind.

So he sauntered over to the car, BB looking only slightly abashed that he couldn’t prevent Red from interrupting them-BB has ‘MANNERS’ and ‘CLASS’, but there was no way he’d ever let someone see him looking anything beyond bored with the situation-and Red squealed as Cinnamon came closer, only noticing Toriel when she came closer and he ducked down, eyes wide.

Cinnamon chuckled. “Heya, Red. This is my boss, Miss Toriel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh Toriel :) I wonder :) what she'll know :)


	26. The Reveal, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel reveals things, bad things, really awful indications. The boys take it fair, if planning a murder is taking it fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I forgot about Red's boot. But I'm also rolling with that he is able to walk short distances now with it, he just has to sit down and rest.
> 
> Yes.

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant

Toriel smiled, ducking her head down a bit to not seem as big. “Hello there, dear. It’s nice to meet you.”

Red blinked, then waved his hand lightly. “H-Hi, nice to meet you.”

Toriel chuckled, looking at Cinnamon. “Oh he’s a darling. Are you going to enroll him in the school?”

Cinnamon stared at her, chuckling a bit nervously. “Ah, no? I mean, I get he’s short but…”

Toriel shot him a look that screamed ‘really??’ at him. “Cinnamon dear, though it has been some time since I have had my own children, I still recognize the magic of a still developing child. Considering…” She motioned at the school.  
BB leaned back in his seat, a glare settled in on his face. “WHAT?” he asked sharply.

Toriel sighed, rubbing a hand down her face and fixing her glasses back. “I suppose I shouldn’t be too shocked. It’s usually parents that can feel it. Ah, you see, when a child is born-”

“They gotta build their magic up with their mama!” Red squeaked, giggling.

Toriel smiled, nodding. “That’s right. What most forget is that the magic is still developing, despite a baby growing up. It no longer relies on the parents’ magic, but rather, it relies on magic in general.”

Cinnamon just stared at her with a blank look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Toriel rolled her eyes, snorting softly. “If you had to, you could eat human food and be fine, correct?”

BB nodded. “YES, DISGUSTING AS IT IS, IT’S FINE FOR US, RIGHT?”

“Yes, exactly, or you could go without food for a very long time. However, before a child gets out of stripes, they cannot do either of these things. They rely on pure magic food.”

Cinnamon still seemed confused, but BB threw the car in park, getting out of it. “WE’RE GOING INSIDE TO TALK.”

Red gasped. “I get to go in the school!?”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At first, when Toriel finally saw Red entirely, she had shot them both an incredulous look, then a very murderous one. It was only through BB’s rough shortened version that it lessened, although it still carried a tone that indicated had she met Gaster, he would be paste on the floor.  
Once Toriel led them one of the empty classrooms, Red had sped straight towards the blocks in intrigue, slowly stacking them after lowering himself into a chair.

BB crossed his arms sharply. “EXPLAIN IT AGAIN.”

Toriel tutted, dragging open a drawer and taking out a small notepad. On it, she drew first a little circle as a baby, then a larger one, labelling it ‘parent’. “First, as infants, we draw from our parents as the magic encasing us is fragile and wild. As one ages, the magic starts to settle into us, stabilizing our form, in a manner of speaking. We’re able to use the magic gifted to us.”

She drew a few sets of circles, then a large one at 16. “When one achieves a stable age, mostly sixteen for most monsters barring the ones that have accelerated aging such as the Bunny family and so on, the magic is finally settled in place. We can do attacks for instance, or use our special attunements we’ve inherited.”

She pointed at the set of circles before the larger one. “However, before that, the magic is still settling in. Children rely on magic wherever they can get it, the magic getting...out of hand within days if it becomes disrupted. They’re especially vulnerable as they are unable to form attacks or even little pellets, so...”

“THEY DIE.” BB muttered. 

Toriel hesitantly nodded. “Only if left...untreated. It’s akin to starvation in humans. It’s why we lost so many of our kind during and after the war. The adults could survive on meager, human items. Children could not, especially those who had lost their own parents.”

BB sharply nodded. The war was something that happened across all the universes. No matter what, the war happened and people-and monsters-died as a result of it. It just depended on the universe how many.

Cinnamon frowned, looking over at Red then back at Toriel. “So, wait, you’re saying he’s a kid? That can’t be right...uh, can it?”

Toriel laced her fingers together, grimacing a bit. “We do not have the same...precautions required as humans needed to prevent procreation. And due to the nature of magic, it would be...near impossible for anyone under sixteen to be pregnant.”

BB sighed, groaning as he smacked his face. “I ASKED WHEN HE WAS BORN, NOT HOW OLD HE IS. OF COURSE HE WOULDN’T PIPE UP, HE’S NEVER...BEEN TALKED TO LIKE A PERSON.” He sighed, tilting his head back with a groan. “THIS IS BAD.”

Toriel nodded slowly. “Yes. Especially for the monster that did it.”

Cinnamon snorted. “No worries there, he can’t get ta us.”

Toriel sighed. “A pity. I’d like to say a few things.” She tilted her head, watching Red for a moment. He had built a small castle, and then, with a mischievous look, he smashed his hand through it, laughing loudly. “Obviously a teenager, thank the stars.”

Cinnamon nodded, stretching as he pushed himself off the wall. “Whelp, let’s ask him. Hey Red! C’mere.”

Red perked up, rolling the little blocks back into their area before trotting over with a happy grin. “I like it here!”

Toriel smiled. “I’m happy to hear it. Red, may I ask how old you will be on your next birthday?”

Red shyly nodded, tugging lightly at his shirt. “I’ll be sixteen, I turned fifteen last time, according to my marks.”

Toriel nodded. “My, you’re getting up there aren’t you?” She hummed, tapping her fingers on the desk. “And you’ve been ensuring he’s eating monster food?”

BB snorted, letting Red nuzzle up to him. “OF COURSE, MOSTLY SINCE IT’S WHAT WE EAT, AND NOW WE HAVE TO BE TWICE AS CAREFUL.”

Cinnamon gave a slightly shaky thumbs up as Toriel chuckled. “Of course. Especially for ah, baby as well.” She sighed. “He’s still technically a child, and under our rules, he does have to go to school.”

BB frowned. “I WOULD AGREE, HOWEVER…” He tilted his head a bit, as if indicating something to her. Red stared up at her with big eye lights. School? With all this fun stuff?? But he’d miss his friends…

Toriel gave a sharp nod. “Of course. We’ll have to take precautions, and allow a little more free reign than the usual student would be allowed, but I think being around others his own age would be...beneficial to him.”

BB hummed, rubbing his chin. He looked at Cinnamon who shrugged. “I mean, I gotta agree. He’s been around a single adult his whole life, and we’re all adults too. Sometimes a kid’s gotta be a kid.”  
BB sighed, looking down at Red then back up at Toriel. “I’LL HAVE TO TALK WITH THE THERAPIST, OF COURSE. I DON’T SEE WHY IT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, EXCEPT FOR A FEW BUMPS IN THE ROAD.”

Toriel smiled. “We’ll deal with them as they come. I’ll be happy to take him into class. Perhaps in a month, however, as he’s still getting used to being in a new place, yes?”

BB nodded. “YOUR ADVICE IS SOUND. WE’LL DISCUSS IT THEN.” He shifted, tilting his head down at Red. “WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

Red squeaked, his eyes almost sparkling. “Schoooool!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh there's going to be fallout over this =)
> 
> Also, school for the babu. Also also, Red taking his baby to class, would that NOT be the CUTEST IMAGE  
also also  
he would make friends and be a kid for all of a split second.   
Which would mean...
> 
> REBELLION  
somehow


	27. LOCK YOUR DOORS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red finds the boys in...compromising situations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah the boys are all in a major...sixsome or smth lmao.
> 
> So basically
> 
> Six Daddies
> 
> One Mama
> 
> I feel that's a sitcom.

May, Red is thirteen weeks pregnant  
Red’s meeting with the other moms went amazing. Raq still had yet to have their baby, but according to them, the thunder and lightning was a very good sign. Courtney had passed them their info sheets, and Red was pleased to learn that his baby would soon be making funny faces.

Truly the best bit of information he had learned. He had no idea what a ‘sex drive’ was, but he made a face when the sheet indicated his breasts would get bigger. They already felt really tender! He pouted a bit, but was drawn into a conversation with the others about all the weird things they were eating lately.

Blue and BB brought him home, having went grocery shopping while he was at the meeting. Red hobbled inside eagerly, today was his scheduled ‘nap time’ with Sans! Sans was suuuper cuddly, plus he didn’t mind when Red elbowed him or twisted in weird ways to sleep with him.

But. Sans wasn’t around? He looked at the living room confused. Sans was usually waiting for him in the armchair, letting Red climb up on him. He hesitated, looking behind him. Blue was busy trying to get all the bags at once, BB was lecturing him on dropping the eggs, while somehow, Stretch had appeared and was busy holding one bag and nodding away.

Hm. Okay. So. He wasn’t with them...and Cinnamon had went to get gas for his bike…

Bang.

Red jumped, stumbling against the wall as he looked up the stairs. Oh! Oh, of course! Sans was probably napping in his and Papyrus’ bed! Papyrus sometimes napped with him too, tucking him up close. It was nice, when he wanted to be like that,but suffocating when he didn’t.

Red shuffled up the stairs, careful of his leg. It felt much better, and while it appeared more sturdy, he still had to wear the boot for another week. Boooring.

He eagerly hobbled away, hearing another bang, bang from the room. He was a little confused, but last time he heard a noise, Blue and Papyrus were moving a desk in another room around. Maybe that’s what he was doing!

...nah, Sans didn’t like physical labor.

Ah well. Red reached for the doorknob, instantly opening. “Sans, Sans, we’re ho-aaAAAHHH!” He shrieked, throwing himself back into the hallway.

Papyrus was on top of Sans, and they were both naked! And! Papyrus! Was hurting Sans! He shrieked and started crying, he thought Papyrus was their friend!

Sans cursed and Papyrus shot up, both of them quickly putting on something to cover themselves. Papyrus stepped out hesitantly. “RED, IT’S OK-”

“No!” Red cowered away from Papyrus’ outstretched hand, gasping and trying to draw in a breath.

That was how BB had found them, Papyrus looking stricken and wearing a robe, Sans only in a shirt and looking exhausted, with Red sobbing into the carpet.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“-AND YOU SEE, THAT’S ALL THAT HAPPENED!”

They had gotten Red settled down, although he still jerked away from Papyrus with a soft gasp and wide eyes, looking away quickly. Red was wrapped up on the couch, BB cleaning his face off with a cloth as Red looked more confused. “...that’s...sex?”

Sans nodded, having gotten fully dressed and sitting in the armchair once more. “Yeah he wasn’t...hurting me, Red. We were...having fun.”

“It’s not...fun though,” he mumbled in even more confusion. Papyrus twisted his hands together, looking from Sans to Red. “YOU SEE, RED, WELL...WHEN PEOPLE LOVE EACH OTHER, THEY HAVE FUN LIKE THAT SOMETIMES!”

“...why?”

Sans blushed as BB snorted. “IT FEELS GOOD, MOSTLY. SOME PEOPLE DO IT TO...PROCREATE.”

Red blinked, squinting as BB scrubbed at his cheeks, whining as he tried to lean away. “...so...Gaster um, didn’t love me??”

BB paused, staring at him for a moment. “HE WASN’T MEANT TO TREAT YOU LIKE THAT,” BB responded instead. 

Red puffed up his cheeks, cuddling into his blanket a bit. “Mmm. So people...like it...because it feels nice?”

Papyrus nodded quickly. “YES! SOME PEOPLE DO STUFF BY THEMSELVES, OR WITH OTHERS!”

Red didn’t seem too convinced, but he eagerly took Papyrus’ hug now that he found Papyrus wasn’t hurting Sans, and took a nap with Stretch instead ‘so Sans can go get loved on’.

BB cackled, dodging Sans’ punch to go and make dinner.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinnamon sighed as he plopped down on his and BB’s bed. Getting gas for his bike, nearly spilling it on himself...that was a workout. Really. He laid down for a bit, dozing softly for a second before he stirred and stretched a bit.

You know what would make this day better? A bit of teasing, absolutely. 

BB would probably punish him for making their bed dirty...would most likely be hot. Or he’d make Cinnamon do laundry. Less hot.

Ah, well, what was life without a bit of gambling?

He shifted, trailing his hand down to his pelvis, unzipping his pants and kicking them to his knees. Too lazy to get them all the way off. He slipped his hand around his cock, pierced around the head that he pressed on to send a jolt through him.

Oh yeaaaah...this was exactly what he needed.

He shut his eyes, tilting his head back as he stroked himself. He thought of BB, for a moment, although it wasn’t in any certain scene. He thought of Blue who liked his piercings and sometimes tugged on them mischievously.

He started to pant, hips rocking a bit.

Then he turned his head, opened his sockets, and screamed, smashing into the wall behind him.

Red was watching him, kneeling next to the bed with wide eyes. 

“Hi, Cinnamon! You were having fun?”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And they were back in the living room, albeit this time it was just BB, Cinnamon and Red who was bundled up with a pout on the couch. Cinnamon sighed, rubbing at his face roughly. “Red, shut doors mean privacy. You’re...supposed to knock.”

“Why?”

BB grunted. “BECAUSE YOU END UP IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.”

Red blinked, staring at them, still pouting. Cinnamon sighed. “Look, Red, sometimes...people need to be alone for a little bit.”

“But...being alone...is lonely.”

“If it’s for very long, yeah. But five, ten minutes, an hour, it won’t hurt to be alone.”

Red seemed to be thinking it over then nodded. Cinnamon sighed, clapping his hands on his knees as he stood up. “I’m glad we got this covered, now-”

“Were you feeling nice too, Cinnamon?”

Cinnamon sunk into his seat and covered his face with a groan as Red eagerly smiled at him, awaiting his answer.

BB coughed, turning his head before sharply nudging his brother. “HONESTLY, THIS IS ON YOU AT THIS POINT.” He cleared his throat, turning to Red. “LISTEN, DEAR. IT’S A LITTLE...EMBARRASSING SOMETIMES TO BE CAUGHT DOING THAT.”

“Why?”

BB hesitated, looking at Cinnamon who just shook his head, still hiding his face. BB huffed, looking back at Red. “HM. I-HM. AH, REMEMBER HOW WE HAD THE TALK ABOUT NOT GOING ABOUT NAKED IN THE HOME?”

Red bobbed his head. “People are meant to be clothes when outside their rooms, for manners.”

BB nodded. “EXACTLY. THIS IS...A LITTLE LIKE THAT. ESPECIALLY AS YOU’RE...STILL YOUNG.” He shifted in place, tucking his arms behind him. “AH, IMAGINE IT’S LIKE ONE OF US ACCIDENTALLY READING OVER YOUR SHOULDER, OR ASKING WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WRITING IN YOUR JOURNAL. HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?”

Red frowned, hugging his blanket a bit. “...n-nervous...um...I don’t like it.”

“THAT’S HOW PEOPLE FEEL WHEN OTHERS CATCH THEM DOING...THAT.” He sighed. “WE’LL EXPAND UPON IT MORE LATER, BUT FOR NOW, NO MORE GOING THROUGH DOORS WITHOUT KNOCKING AND EXCLAIMING YOUR PRESENCE, UNDERSTAND?”

Red quickly nodded. “O-Okay, BB!”

“GOOD. NOW, LET’S LEAVE CINNAMON TO HIS SHAME, AND TO THE LAUNDRY.”

Cinnamon groaned even harder, winking playfully at Red as Red shuffled by him, making him giggle.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sans groaned as he wrapped his legs around Stretch’s head tightly, rocking up into his mouth eagerly. Stretch had decided to ‘wake up’ Sans, obviously meaning to get a little fun in before breakfast.

Stretch snickered, thrusting a finger into Sans easily. “Man, you’re already all wet and needy, pent up?”

“Sh-Shut up keep going already,” Sans grumbled, poking Stretch’s head. Stretch winked at him, diving back in. It was very, very, very enjoyable, until…

Knock, knock, knock

“Stretch! Sans! You’re taking too long, it’s me!” 

The door opened immediately as they scrambled to cover up. “Red!”

Red blinked, still in his pajamas. “What?...I knocked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BB said to knock and to say his name he did NOT say not to open the door, this is REALLY all his fault, mmmmkaaaay.
> 
> Also I like imaging Red being just carted to the couch whenever something happens so they can talk. Just a bundle of blankets. Cutie pie.


	28. Red's Secret Concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red spills the beans to Lax, who is secretly amused at skeletons who don't lock doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than normal but there will be the deciding of names, and then a possibly time skip to them deciding about school.

May, Red is fourteen weeks pregnant

“How are things?”

Lax had her notepad in hand, although Red never saw her writing in it. “Mmm, good, weird stuff going on.”

“Weird stuff, hm? I see you’re walking more.”

Red brightened up. “I am! I get to go get it seen to see if it comes off! It’s very heavy.”

Lax chuckled, nodding her massive head. “I understand that. What else happened?”

Red puffed up his cheeks, curling his arms around his legs again. “Mmmm. We went and picked up Cinnamon and they said I gotta go to school...and then um. I saw Papyrus and Sans…” His face heated up, and he giggled nervously. “H-Having sex.”

Lax blinked, tilting her head. “That so? Perhaps they’ll learn to lock the door then.” 

Red giggled harder, nodding his head. “Papyrus said um, it’s not hurting Sans!”

“Ah. Because...Gaster hurt you?”

Red frowned, hugging his knees tightly. “Uh huh. I thought Papyrus was, but um, it’s different? Because they’re in love. And it feels nice!”

Lax bobbed her head back and forth, making a noise. “Ah, well, yes, that’s one reason people have relations, yes. How do you feel about that?”

Red shrugged. “I dunno. I’m happy Papyrus is nice! Cinnamon didn’t seem happy when I watched him though.” His eye sockets furrowed a bit. “It’s confusing.”

Lax hid a grin as she coughed, nodding. “Did they explain privacy to you, and how sometimes people need some time to themselves?”

“Yeah...but it’s lonely being alone…”

“I see. Have you had any privacy time since you arrived? Being alone for a little?”

Red nodded. “On the couch and stuff. Or do you mean...like Cinnamon?” He instantly recalled that one night, not knowing what he was doing, feeling really good, hearing-

He ducked his head. “I...don’t like it.”

Lax shook her head. “You don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to.”

“I. Um. Heard...h-his voice...and um, it f-felt good? Not really?” He sighed, tearing up again as he swiped at his eyes. “It felt strange.”

Lax nodded, pencil scratching on her notepad. “Completely understandable, Red. I know being pregnant can make one...a little on edge, as it were. I think you would benefit from a sex therapist.”

Red blushed bright, squeaking as he hid his face. He wasn’t sure why the word itself made him all...hot in the face. “What’s that?”

“When someone, such as yourself, has an issue concerning their sexual activities, a sex therapist is able to talk you through a few things. Like...someone might like to...hurt themselves, to feel good. So they would have to find a way not to do that, you see?”

He didn’t but he nodded all the same. Lax smiled. “Anything else happen? You said you were going to school?”

“Uh huh. Cinnamon’s school, I guess. That’s what they said, at least. I liked being inside it.”

Lax hummed. “Ah yes, schools are very beautiful on the inside.Well, I’m happy you’re going to school, I bet that’ll be fun.”

Red smiled sweetly, nodding his head. “Ummm...I got a journal! I’m writing in it but I’m not allowed to do so when it’s time to eat.”

Lax chuckled. “That’s a good rule to have, it would get messy. May I ask what you’re writing?”

Red quickly shook his head. “Mm-mm! Secret!”

Lax smiled. “Alright then. If you want to show me any time, that’s fine. I’d like to end today with you drawing me a picture, okay?”

Red bobbed his head, shifting to sit up in the seat. “I-I’ll try...I didn’t draw a lot but um, I can try!”

Lax lumbered up, bringing over a paper and a few crayons. “That’s all I ask.”

Red grabbed up one crayon, looking up at her. “What do I draw?”

“Anything at all, I’d just like to see it.”

Red nodded, and off he went scribbling, tongue peeking out sometimes as he used the crayons, pressing them against the paper a little too roughly.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHAT IS THIS?”

Red was in the waiting room, playing with a small toy car he had found, as BB and Lax spoke off to the side. Lax had asked Red if it was okay to share his picture with BB, and Red had eagerly agreed.

“It’s a drawing. Sometimes I have my patients draw to get their thoughts out on paper.”

“OKAY...BUT WHAT IS IT?”

It was very, very weird looking. Half the page on one side was pure black, the bottom of it black as well. However, on the half of the black, there was a circle of white with a yellow stripe on it, and a body underneath it. On the other side, a clumsily drawn house held several white circles, happy and smiling around a table.

In the middle, half submerged in the black, was what was obviously a baby. The head was very tiny, and the body was curled up, but it had black streaks on it.

“I think he’s frightened, of course he would be, of Gaster.” She pointed at the inky blackness. “This stands for him, and all he’s...infected.” She drew her finger up to the white space. “That’s Red, already deep into the inky blackness. He thinks he’s too far gone.”

BB frowned, staring as she pointed out the images. “The baby of course, is left unharmed, except for a few black streaks. I think he believes that the baby will be a little like Gaster, and that scares him as well.”

She followed the black at the bottom, and it swooped up behind the house. “And here is Gaster, ready to rip the little house apart at a moment’s notice.”

“HE DOESN’T THINK HE’S SAFE.”

“No, he doesn’t. Or rather, he believes his baby is safe, but eventually he’ll be found and taken away.”

BB clenched the paper tightly, letting out a sharp sigh. “SO, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?”

Lax hummed, slipping her hand away, waving at Red when he looked up and waved with the car. “Just continue to comfort him, assure him he’s safe. If this Gaster is still around, it may do well to have closure for him to try and alert the Royal Guard?”

“HE’S NOT. IT’S COMPLICATED, BUT HE’S NOT FROM HERE. IT WOULD BE A WASTE TO SEND THEM.”

Lax sighed, nodding. “I feared as much. Sometimes it’s the not knowing that gets us. And Red doesn’t know what Gaster is doing, and that frightens him. I believe.”

BB nodded again, and Lax took the picture from him, folding it gently. “I’ll see him again next week. Just comfort him, like I said. Assure him. In the meantime, I think it would benefit him if you started suggesting he name the baby. Right now it’s just ‘the baby’, from Gaster. If the baby has a name, it loses the connection.”

BB snorted softly. “BLUE’S BEEN SHAKING IN NERVES TO DO SO, BUT HE DOESN’T WANT TO STEP ON RED’S TOES AND MAKE HIM FEEL LIKE HE HAS TO CHOOSE A NAME TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. BUT I’LL GET HIM TO TALK WITH RED.”

“Wonderful. Red!” Red perked up, sitting up after rolling the car over the table. “I’ll see you next week, okay?”

Red bobbed his head, grinning. “Okay! Bye, Lax! BB! Let’s go let’s go!” He hopped up, rocking on the boot and laughing as BB headed over, scolding him gently for bouncing around, leading Red out to the car...for an ice cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: Blue's a kinky shit, try and find the evidence in previous chapters
> 
> Also
> 
> I watch a lot of SVU so that's where I got the drawing idea. 
> 
> (Red dislikes crayons bc they stain his fingers, but he likes the scritch noise it makes on paper)


	29. Bossy Baby Time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red decides a name, and then has another issue crop up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a conundrum, ain't it? Can't get one thing fixed for another thing breaking :)

May, Red is fourteen weeks pregnant

Blue plopped a three ring binder on the coffee table in front of Red, striking a silly pose. “MWEH! I HAVE FOUND MANY A WONDERFUL AND AMAZING NAME, AND ALPHABETIZED THEM!!”

“Does the first one say Sans?”

Blue pointed a finger at Stretch with a glare. “...MAYBE!”

Red giggled, cuddling his arms around his belly as Blue sat next to him, opening it up. “I dunno a lot of names, but I bet they’re all good, Blue!”

Blue smiled at him sweetly, flipping a few pages. “WELL, I MEAN, YOU COULD JUST GO THE USUAL ROUTE OF NAMING HIM ‘PAPYRUS’.”

Red tilted his head, peeking down at the now stretching and squirming baby, who made the cuuuutest faces at him! The tiny eyes were still shut, but it was too cuuuuute! “I dunno, he doesn’t really look like the others…”

Stretch chuckled. “Ah, babies don’t look much like anything until they’re like, out, right?”

Sans shrugged from where he had his legs over Stretch’s in the armchair, flipping through a science magazine. “Everyone says babies are squishy and weird at first.”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER!! BABY IS A GOOD BABY!”

Red nodded along with Blue and Stretch chuckled. “Agreed.”

Red squirmed, peeking at the list. “What’s on it?”

Blue squealed, clearing his throat as he picked up the binder, flipping to the first page. “ANGEL, ALEJANDRO,ARIES, ARIEL, ANNABELLE-”

“Bro did you really just get all the names and put them in the list?”

Blue blushed brightly, sticking his tongue at Stretch. “NO! OF COURSE NOT! ...MAYBE!”

Red giggled as Blue argued with Stretch about how all names were viable and nice and Stretch repeating certain names to see if Blue had added them to the list.

Sans snorted, waving a hand at both of them. “Alright, alright. Look, our dads named us after fonts and dad was a font name too. As far as I recall, that’s a skeleton tradition and all. So, why not a font name?”

Blue frowned, humming as he thought. “I SUPPOSE...BUT THERE’S NO GREATER FONTS THAN OURS…” Red giggled, shrugging. “How would I know what name…?”

Sans shrugged. “Eh, I dunno, never was told how you’re supposed to know the fonts, just that it happened.”

Blue immediately began listing all the fonts he knew, and the ones on the computer, and the ones in the Word document he once saw, but none of them quite fit, exactly. An hour of them ‘arguing’ and testing the name saw nothing but more crossed out names and Red a little nervous. He wanted a good name for his baby!

Papyrus called them for lunch, and Blue happily let Red lace their arms together to go eat at the table. Cinnamon had shown up, usually he stayed at the school, and Red happily climbed up into the chair next to him. “Cinnamon!”

Cinnamon cracked an eye open from where he had rested his head on his arms. “Well hey little mama, how’s things?”

“Good! We’re trying to find a name for him.”

Cinnamon chuckled, sitting up now. “That so? What’s he up to?”

Red squealed, happily tugging up his shirt to reveal the tiny baby. Right now he was just floating around, stretching a little here and there, wiggling fingers. Cinnamon cooed. “Awww. Can I touch?”

Red quickly nodded, sitting up a bit so Cinnamon could touch his belly.

Usually Red would touch around the baby, and the baby was gleeful to spin in circles or just seemed to brighten up when it happened.

When Cinnamon pressed his hand over the baby, it was like a piranha was set loose. The baby went flinging against Cinnamon’s hand, kicking sternly and making a face as if biting at the air. Cinnamon yanked his hand back, letting out a laugh. “Wow! Bossy little thing, ain’t he? Guess he doesn’t want anyone touching Mama.”

Red had stars in his eyes, cupping his hand over the baby with a coo. The baby settled instantly, content to kick in place. “Bossy baby~! He’s a Boss! Yes. That’s his name then!”

“Boss, huh?” Cinnamon leaned back in his chair, shrugging as Papyrus set plates up around the table. “Not the weirdest name, for sure. Alright then, little Boss and little Mama.” He winked at Red who giggled and tucked his shirt around his belly, soothing the small baby.

Boss. What a lovely name for a protective little bean.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHAT’S GOING ON?” 

Papyrus had entered the kitchen to get a glass of water after he and Sans had went to bed a little early. Red was up on the counter, his face scrunched up like he had been crying or was about to, BB was on a step stool and gripping the gold tooth with an intense look. 

“MM, RED’S COMPLAINING ABOUT HIS MOUTH HURTING...I’M NOT SURE THIS WAS PUT IN PROPERLY.”

“It huuuurts!” Red whined around BB’s fingers, sniffling. BB nodded, tilting Red’s head back a little to look with a little flashlight around it.

Papyrus approached, reaching out to hold Red’s hand sweetly as Red whined and shifted. “DO GOLD TEETH MOVE OFTEN?? CINNAMON’S HASN’T.”

“NO, BUT CINNAMON HAD HIS KNOCKED OUT AFTER WE WERE ADULTS, I MADE IT. RED, WHEN DID YOU HAVE YOURS PUT IN?”

Red shrugged, swinging his leg lightly. “Um. Back at the lab.”

BB sighed. “FIGURES. TOO BIG FOR HIM AS A CHILD, AND NOW IT’S GETTING TOO SMALL FOR HIS SKULL. WE’LL HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO A STARS DAMNED DENTIST TO GET IT REPLACED.”

Red whined, hugging Papyrus’ hand tightly. “I’m sorry…”

Papyrus patted Red’s back gently. “IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT! BB’S JUST FRUSTRATED IT’S HURTING YOU.”

BB nodded, giving Red a small smile. “EXACTLY. WE’LL GO IN THE MORNING AND GET A...COOLER LOOKING TOOTH FOR YOU, HOW’S THAT?”

Red pouted, swinging his legs lightly, the boot kicking against a drawer. “I dunno, the last time it got put in, it hurt. A lot.”

“WELL IF IT HURTS THIS TIME, I’LL JUST KILL THE DENTIST, HOW’S THAT?”

Red burst into giggles as Papyrus gasped and scolded BB for being so ruder. BB just rolled his eyes, giving a playful wink at Red before heading out, letting Papyrus make him and Red a small snack before helping Red to bed.

A dentist appointment shouldn’t be so bad, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know everyone probably imagines the baby all up in his pelvis but look  
just  
no  
just a big belly and the baby just floating around in the space  
why?   
He ain't got no organs, it's free real estate, also fuck yeah Boss has little tiny sharp teeth already, okaaaaayayyyyy
> 
> I have a headcanon about Red that came up in an RP waaaay long ago, which is why this is rising up. Doesn't help that technically, he does need to get his teeth seen about (you think Gaster cared about oral hygiene? ...well maybe, but that's besides the point!)


	30. Dentists Sometimes Suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red goes to the Dentist.
> 
> Red goes to the ER.
> 
> These events are connected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inaccurate representation of a seizure and probably bad advice and knowledge, but Google has yet to fail me!
> 
> Might make some folks a bit uh, stressed, so I marked the seizure part with ~ these dudes. Just skip past 'em, it's good.

May, Red is fourteen weeks pregnant

Red stood at the fish tank with wide eyes, pressing up against it. There were so many. There were blue ones and green ones and one on the bottom that had whiskers!! He rubbed his belly lightly. “Booosss….look at the fish! Do you think you’ll like them? I bet so,” he mumbled, rocking in place as this time, Sans had taken him to the dentist.

BB forgot that he had to assist Blue with some house building thing today, so he threatened asked Sans to take Red. Sans, of course, agreed because why wouldn’t he?

Sans had filled out the paperwork according to the massive texts BB had shot him before he had left, letting Red squeeze his face against the tank, moving slowly as he followed one big yellow fish around.

It was adorable.

Unfortunately no one had really operated on skeletons concerning their teeth, seeing well...teeth generally stayed in. No one really knew what to do, but they were going to see if the human version of replacing a tooth would help.

When asked how he got his first one, Red helpfully chirped that one of the scientists, with Gaster holding him down, had ‘smacked it in with a hammer!’

So that’s. You know. Not...helpful.

They didn’t exactly have a white tooth shaped like...a fang like Red’s teeth were, so they had to use gold, but it would take a little bit to fashion it into place. Red was happy to distract himself with the fish, going around and around the tank until a nurse finally called him to the back.

He latched onto Sans with wide eyes and Sans helpfully walked with him, joking with the nurse a little, and helping Red climb into the leaning back chair. Red shivered, holding Sans’ hand. “A-Are you gonna stay?”

Sans nodded. “Yup, sure am, they got me a chair right there, so if ya need me, I’ll be over here, kay?”

“Okay…”

The dentist, a human man, came in and wheeled on a stool close to Red with a smile. “Hello there. Are we ready to go? Get that new tooth in?” Red fiddled with the bib the nurse had put on him, nodding again.

The dentist nodded, waving a nurse over with a tray of items. Some of them looked sharp. Red ducked down lower into the chair as the dentist started to speak, “Alright Red, so first thing is, we have this neat little thing called ‘laughing gas’. You’re not going to laugh-or you might-but it’ll make you feel floaty and happy, okay?”

Red nodded again, feeling his soul thrum nervously. The dentist held up two little masks. “These have smells on them. One is bubblegum and one is cherry. Which would you like?”

“Bubblegum,” he mumbled, he could feel himself panicking a little and he wasn’t sure why. He looked over at Sans, who gave him an encouraging grin and a thumbs up. He smiled back, blushing softly.

The nurse paused as she read over the chart. “Doctor, he’s pregnant, don’t you think…?”

“Ah, no, he’s a monster, the barrier crossing between child and mother are different, shouldn’t be affected,” he mumbled, looking through his instruments.

Sans frowned, sitting up as he looked over. “You uh, sure there, doc?”

“Absolutely! Laughing gas actually helps with labor a little, but not to worry, we’ll start with a small dose and see how he and the infant are doing.” He wheeled back over, holding the mask attached to the tube. “Ready?”

Red nodded, and the doctor had him hold the mask up to his face and breathe evenly for a while.

Red leaned back further into the chair, breathing slowly. It smelled like the gum Cinnamon bought him once on an ice cream. He could feel himself relaxing, slowly, the voices around him muddling just a bit. They sounded funny, hilarious even.

~~~They sounded-

Souf-

Soufgg-

His eyes flashed open and he arched his back, mouth open in a silent scream as the nurse and doctor rushed around, calling some kind of code. Red didn’t know what happened, but his head banged back into the chair ruthlessly, his right arm smashing into the seat of the chair without end.

The mask slid from his face, falling to the ground as his eyes rolled up, choking and gasping for air for a moment. And then he sunk back down, his eye sockets opening and shutting slowly, letting out a gurgle of pain.~~~

The office was in a huge panic, they had already called an ambulance and Sans was busy trying not to assault the dentist-it wasn’t his fault, not entirely-as he alerted the others to what had happened.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sometimes people are allergic to the nitrous, or lidocaine, except they didn’t give him any of that,” the ER doctor, a large snake like monster with wings spoke, looking serious. “It’s especially common in children, or at least human children.”

The group of skeletons were in a small room with Red being in a bed in the middle. He was asleep, having not woken up during the ambulance trip here, breathing deeply. His soul was hooked up to a machine to measure his stats, with an additional strip around his belly. 

The baby looked to be having a grand old time kicking around, but no one seemed to be in the mood to even crack a joke.

BB tapped his foot from where he stood next to Cinnamon, who had left a substitute in charge. Cinnamon was in a chair, slumped a bit, watching Red. BB sighed roughly. “SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR HIM? AND THE BABY?”

The doctor nodded, flipping a page on his clipboard. “I’m happy to report that we don’t believe there will be lasting effects. Even humans that go through it report with no symptoms afterward and safe labor.”

Papyrus was wringing his hands, tears in his eye sockets. “B-BUT WHY DID IT HAPPEN?”

“Ah. Well, the dentist is correct, the barrier that shares blood and viruses between mother and infant is nonexistent at least in Red’s case.” He tapped a pen against the paper. “However, the nitrous interfered with his magic. He’s both young and forming his magic, but he’s also using any spare he has to ensure the baby’s growth. The nitrous is meant to ‘calm’ someone down by following nerve pathways. Instead, it clamped down on his magic to a point that it was like he’d been using his magic all day to fight and was on his last dribble of it.”

Blue gasped, tugging at his bandana as he looked at Red on the bed then the doctor. “B-BUT...HE SEEMS FINE NOW?”

“Oh, yes, of course. It was only temporary, but the body went into a panic. It wasn’t sure which way to go: sustain the body or sustain the infant. It spiked and tried to...get away from what was holding it down, in a way.”

Stretch frowned, his leg jostling as he chewed on the sucker in his mouth sharply. “So, what, if he wasn’t pregnant or if he was older, it wouldn’t have happened?”

The doctor adjusted comically small glasses on his nose. “Not entirely. At fifteen, the magic is nearly stable, but the outcome would have been the same. If he were older and pregnant, there’s a chance it wouldn’t have happened, but there’s also a chance that he would have needed to load up on monster food after the event to replace the strained magic that wasn’t being diverted to the infant.”

Sans sighed, nodding as he scrubbed at his cheek. “So, just no dental stuff. Or nitrous, huh?”

“Yes, it’ll go in his patient folder that he’s allergic, so as to prevent this from happening in the future. Even healthy, there’s a possibility that he just can’t accept the nitrous into his system.” He checked his watch, nodded, then looked back up. “He should awaken in the next hour, and after a few memory checks and stat checks, we’ll send him home.”

The others agreed, mumbling a goodbye as the doctor left. Red dozed on, like he was at home, but the beep of the monitors cut that notion down.

BB scowled. “FUCKING PERFECT. HE CAN’T EVEN EAT RIGHT WITH THE DAMN TOOTH AND NOW WE CAN’T EVEN GET IT FIXED.”

Stretch waved his sucker lightly. “I mean. He could, if he stayed awake through it. I guess.”

Cinnamon shook his head, poking his own cheek. “Nah, that’d suck. And we don’t want to hurt him any more, I mean…”

They nodded, and after a little bit, a few of them went to go grab some food to bring back for the others. Papyrus stuck around with Blue, and they fluffed up pillows and tucked Red in a little more, feeling a little...useless.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red blinked awake, squinting in the light. Who turned his bedroom light on? Probably Papyrus, he tried to encourage Red to get up early but Red liked to sleep in. He whined softly, tugging his hand up to scrub at his eye socket. 

“Heya, you’re awake.” 

Red slowly realized someone had said something, and he tilted his head, letting it plop on the pillow as he looked at Sans. He blinked, then grinned dopily. “Saaans...why’re…” he coughed, his throat sore and Sans got up, holding a glass of water up as he helped Red sit up. “Here, drink up, kay?”

Red tried to nod, but his head just bobbed forward and he just didn’t have to energy to complete it. He took the glass in both hands, sipping the water slowly. “What’re you doing in my room?” he mumbled, leaning on Sans.

Sans stroked a hand down his side gently and Red giggled at the ticklish feeling. “Red, remember where we went today?”

Red’s eye sockets furrowed for a moment. Like mud the memories dripped down heavily. The dentist, to get his tooth fixed! Then some weird gas...then…”Mmm. It was scary.”

“Yeah, kid, it was. Ya didn’t uh, exactly play nice with the laughing gas.” He took the glass from Red, putting it on the small tray. Red nuzzled up, staring at the wall for a moment before he managed to figure out what he wanted to say. “Where’s everybody…?”

“They got a bit restless, you were asleep for, maybe, two hours? BB and Stretch went to trade out cars and get the van so you can lay down in it.”

Red clinked his head against Sans’ cheek in a nod. “..what about Boss? Is he okay?”

Sans chuckled, sitting Red up a little and tugging the blanket down. Somehow they had gotten Red out of his clothes and into a weird blue gown like the one he wore in the lab. Sans shifted the split open, showing the little kicking baby. “Hasn’t stopped since we got here, BB says he’s annoyed you got hurt and wants out to kick butt.”

It took Red a moment for the words to register, and he giggled breathlessly, smiling. “I’m tired...I wanna go home.”

“We will, we will. Here, wanna cuddle?”

Red bobbed his head forward again, and Sans let him cuddle up close. Red yawned, hazily watching the silent TV. He was tired, but he just couldn’t fall asleep. He twisted his fingers into the string on Sans’ hoodie, his thoughts muddled and confusing.

Another doctor bustled in, a doctor Sans hadn’t met but who seemed to know Red. She smiled at them. “Hello, I’m Doctor Anya, I’m sorry we haven’t met. I’m Red’s OB-GYN. They told me about what happened.”

Sans smiled, waving from his position. “Name’s Sans. Here to check on the bossy babe?”

Anya smiled, nodding as she pulled a chair over to Red. Red blinked then a smile crept on his face. “Doctor Anya…! Are you gonna take a picture of my baby?” he mumbled.

Anya smiled sadly, shaking her head. “No dear, not today. I hear you had a bad time, huh? Not feeling too good?”

Red mumbled something in response and Anya tutted, her and Sans tugging the blanket down a bit so she could see to the baby. “That’s no good.You’ll have to demand one of your find lads to take you out somewhere nice to eat to cheer you up, hm?”

Red seemed to nod, giggling softly. Anya gently touched his belly, humming. “Anything hurt?”

“Nuh uh…”

“Good, good.” She leaned over, staring for a moment before she finally caught sight of the baby, sweeping her thumb over the top of him. Like last time, he squirmed and stretched out, then jammed his hand into his mouth. “Good reflexes. Alright, honey, you look fit to kill.”

“Er, he’s a little...out of it,” Sans nudged Red lightly. “Is uh, that normal?”

“After nitrous, yes, after a...well technically a seizure, also yes. He’ll come around in a little while, just keep him hydrated and calm.” She tucked the blanket back around Red’s belly gently and he mumbled a thanks to her.

She smiled. “The danger was a shortage of magic, and now that the danger is gone, he’s being hit pretty hard with his magic reserves. It will make him loopy for a time. The biggest thing to look out for is if the baby stops moving or responding, if the ecto starts to fade, and if Red appears to be resistant to waking up.”

Sans nodded. “Sure, yeah, we’ll make sure he gets going again.”

“Good. Come back if you need to. Bye, Red, I’ll take another picture of your baby next time.”

Red giggled, wiggling fingers at her dazedly as she left, then peeking up at Sans. “She’s nice...I like her…”

“Yeah, me too, kid.”

“Sans?”

“Yeah?”

“I want a giant chocolate banananannaan sundae,” Red mumbled, plopping his face into Sans’ shoulder.

Sans snickered. “Banananan?”

Red mumbled ‘banana’ again into his shirt, seeming content to do a back and forth with Sans, smiling sweetly.

He had a small headache blooming from the back of his head, but it was nothing. He could sleep it off. It’d be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister had a seizure when she was getting a crown on, and the dentist didn't almost tell my mom bc he made her stay in the waiting room and if my mom isn't allowed to kill the dentist with her bare hands then neither is Sans.
> 
> Wonder what the headache's about :) Hm. Weird. :)
> 
> (Also Bubblegum stuff smells AMAZING but Cherry is freaking sharp and I dislike it)


	31. Who Is This Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has an interesting dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever have a really realistic dream late at night, wake up thinking it's real, realize you're being silly, go back to sleep, and forget the whole thing in the morning?

May, Red is fourteen weeks pregnant

This was not a bad dream.

That was the first thing Red realized when he had woken up, sleep slipping from his mind like a sheet during the night.

It was not a bad dream. But he could not remember what happened.

He winced, his headache had spread into a small migraine, but he was stubborn and didn’t want to worry anyone...again...like always.

He sighed, nuzzling into his pillow, and falling asleep easily.

In his dream, he’s someone else. This someone else is walking through the white nothingness-the snow, he learned-hands in the pocket of a jacket, every so often mumbling something. They look over, and there’s another skeleton monster, taller and sharper and skinnier.

They say something, but it’s muddled to Red, but the person he is laughs and responds, making the other try very hard not to smile.

Every so often, he awakens. He’s confused by what’s going on, and his head feels like it’s going to split open and spill his essence everywhere and all anyone will come back to is a broken open skeleton.

He’s a bit...dramatic, but still.

He dives in and out of sleep, slipping back into being another person every time. They’re at different places, a warm place, a big place, a place with water…

The last dream he sees is the monster stumbling in the snow, clenching a scarf to his chest, wailing in the wind. The scenery whips around and around, making Red sick but he can’t make it stop, until the other monster is in a golden hallway and then-

Red jolts awake to BB’s knocking, hands curled in his blanket as he pants, staring ahead. 

His headache is gone.

For a moment, he stares at his wall, the one he had painted a little star on to make the room more ‘his’, right next to the mirror where he twists and turns and sees his baby every morning.

Then BB knocks again, a concerned voice echoing, “RED? ARE YOU UP? IT’S TIME FOR BREAKFAST.”

Red gulps, his fingers twitching as he slowly gets up. “I-I’m up…”

He sweated, during the night, he notices with a grimace. His bones are all sticky, and there’s a wet patch where his stomach laid on the sheet. He takes a bath later, after breakfast, and feels up to his normal self once more.

Until that night.

He gets a headache, but it’s behind his eye sockets this time, shutting his eyes so tight they creak and he can’t stand it…

And like that he’s asleep again, except this time, whoever he is stands in front of a mirror.

This person looks...like him! Kind of.

This one has a round skull and a gold tooth, except he has cracks above one eye, and the gold tooth isn’t cocked in a certain way. He was in the middle of putting on his sweater, and Red can tell that he’s bulkier than Red is, bones thicker as well.

He’s nearly the same. It’s scary.

The monster glares into the mirror. “Don’t you know it’s fucking rude ta spy on people, fucker?”

Red flinched, he didn’t know the other had noticed! “I’m sorry! I’m sorry...I...it’s weird…”

The monster rolls his red eye lights, shoving a leather jacket on and fluffing up the hood. “Yeah, you’ve been in my damn head for days now, you mind?”

“Days? Nuh uh, I had four...dreams? Yeah.”

The monster tilted his head, still glaring at the mirror. “Well, whatever. Ya need ta get out, it’s bad enough ya saw a reset, don’t think whoever you’re with ‘s gonna be too happy yer getting all cuddly with me.”

Red giggled. “You’re funny. Who are you?”

“I think I should be saying that, considering things. But eh, I don’t care.” Someone calls downstairs, and the skull swivels, and Red sees a scratched up door. The monster says something, but it’s muddled again, before it swings back to look at the mirror. 

“That’s my cue, sunshine. Just, look, cut it out, go back to yer world, and stay there, capisce?”

“What’s a cap-fish?”

The monster groaned, swiping a hand over his face roughly. “Don’t worry about it. I gotta get. If ya don’t quit I’ll find ya and-”

“Are you sad?”

The monster paused, a look of surprise on his face, before it was quickly covered up with an angry scowl. “Outta my head. Now.”

Red jerked awake, a stray bit of pain fading from his head.

He wondered who that monster was...they felt sad, really sad. Especially in the snow with the scarf and in the yellow hall. Really, really sad, like when Red thought his baby was dying.

He shivered, hugging his belly softly. The baby kicked sleepily and he cooed. “I know, go back to sleep.” He rubbed little circles around the baby gently, leaning back against his pillow.

He’d never been the type to...do something. Like...heroic, like how Papyrus would jump into the pool and save someone. Like that.

But he wanted to. He wondered if the other had a Gaster, and if that Gaster was mean. Perhaps he was nice only sometimes, and mean the next. 

Red shivered, curling up under his blanket. That sounded really, really scary.

He made a promise to himself-and to the monster-that he’d find them and save them! He wanted to...he felt like he had to...he had to s...save...the mo-

In a moment he was sound asleep, dreaming of flying in clouds this time, no nightmare in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POLL TIME  
Someone do a drum roll, danke.
> 
> There's a crossroads here that I did not envision happening, if I'm honest.
> 
> The first road leads us to Red having his family help him find the original Underfell universe to 'save' the skeleton brothers (there's nothing wrong, it's just not a world that quit resetting yet, while the ones living together have for various reasons).
> 
> If we travel this road, it will be a small backseat to the rest of Red's life, as he's concerned but there's not a lot they can do. I'm thinking they won't find them until perhaps a month before the baby's born. If so, there's two possibilities:  
An entire orgy of bone parents...which is like nine people right? Right  
OR. The skeleton set, while happily becoming the 'fathers' of Red's baby, hold no uh, romantic interest for him. While the Underfell skeletons do (I'm gonna roll and say the Sans of that world is 19, while the Papyrus is only 17). It'd be just the threesome then that Red would be interested in and dating them, but Boss-the baby-is still going to call everyone Daddy (name) lmao  
It's cute, don't judge me
> 
> Second road!  
Nothing!  
That's it. He wakes up the next day, forgetting the whole endeavor. This becomes just a filler chapter until we get to school planning. Could also take it that Red's 'traveling' universes in his sleep, which can end with...unintended consequences =)
> 
> it's not just 'do ya'll wanna ship him with these or with these', the two stories will have various differences, of course. If we add the Fell bros, then it's just as much them getting used to a 'nice' universe as it is Red healing from his horrible world. If we don't, it just leads the story in a slightly different way.
> 
> I still have ideas and a timeline going, like I said. Next chapter will be *a surprise*  
Not one any of you will like, exactly, but a surprise :)


	32. Red's Journal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippets of Red's journal, because we're all interested, yes? Yes? very good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll ready to fucking CRY  
Because I know I did  
fuck

May, ????

First entry:

I love you  
I love you I love you I love you I love you  
(It extends on, filling a page)

Second entry:

I love you! I love you? I love you~ I love you*****

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love you, like um, ice cream! I love you like bubblegum! I love you like BB! I love you like my new clothes!

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<strike>I hate you</strike>

I’m sorry! I’m sorry I’m sorry I don’t mean it don’t hate me I love you

(rip in the page, tear marks)

Third entry:

I

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A doodle of a circle with a smile. Then another. Then another. Then the smile is a line.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes I don’t like you.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pen marks in swirls, sometimes ending with flowers or smiles or flowers with smiles and little bees.

Fourth Entry:

I went to see Lax today. We talked about you. She said  
She  
She said sometimes I should do something for myself.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A very small, detailed sketched copy of a small photo near it. It appears to be an ultrasound picture. On the picture is various little red hearts doodled under it.

The sketch is very nice, but has dried in the middle, indicating it was wet once.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes when you make mean faces, you remind me of him. And I hate you for it.

Fifth Entry:

A gigantic pen scribble, the words are unreadable.

Sixth Entry:

I went to a um, Domestic Violence survivors group today. I  
couldn’t explain it all to them, but I told them sometimes, very rarely...I...don’t like you.  
The leader, Mr. Tart, said it’s okay. He said I can love my baby, but I can also be mad about having my baby because I didn’t want a baby.  
So um  
I love you!  
But...sometimes I don’t like you???  
I don’t hate you. Not like I hate him. There will be no one I hate more.  
Sometimes I think I squint a lot, to try and see more of him in you, to make it easier for me  
It doesn’t  
You just look a lot me. It hurts.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They wouldn’t say it but I think I almost lost you. My tooth hurts and my head hurts, but I think it almost happened.  
I  
don’t know how to feel about that  
I asked about you when I woke up. You were acting fine. I felt like the time he had injected me with something to test if skeletons can get sick  
I dunno why he did that. He’s one, too.  
Anyway  
<s>A scribble is here</s>  
<s>Another scribble</s>  
<s>Another one over a longer sentence</s>  
I’m sorry. It’s not fair to you. I’m sorry.  
I think  
It’s made me think. I love you. I do. And even though sometimes, I think about him, and it terrifies me or makes me sick, when I look at you with my squint like I used to, I can’t see him.

You’re bigger, and you have a big head and little arms and sometimes you bite when someone pats my belly but I can’t see the lowered eye sockets or his jaw shape any more.

You look more like me. If you didn’t look like either of us, I’d love you even more.

I dote on you often, because...Mr. Tart says I’m trying to force myself into the feelings. Maybe he’s right. But now, I just  
I love you. I do.  
I promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While they read 'first' and 'second' entry, he has more he's written, different things, but this...this was important, I think, to see into Red's mind a little.
> 
> Also hey guess what I fucking feel bad for Red, maybe I'll make it up to him soon XD
> 
> Also also, like...can you also hear the difference in tone when he's trying to be the happy playful Red and he dips into a dark part of himself? Yeah I do. I do.
> 
> Alright, we're gonna bring on the Fell bros!!! WHOOO!!! 
> 
> It's gonna take MONTHS THO!!! WHOOOO!!!!
> 
> I still have the one singular image of how Red's going into labor, so it's not changing haha
> 
> (I think if Toriel ever found out any of them were 'with' Red in any way, she's go HAM on them. And they'd be goop on the floor. Like how Gaster will be if she sees him = )  
BB too. I think the force of his glare would ignite someone on fire. Hehehehehehe)


	33. A Dream is a Wish...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red tells about a dream, gets his boot off, and now may go to school!!! Maybe!!! He so aced this test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter at a time of this would've been a few really small chapters. I like long ones. Don't you? It's like. Christmas or something.

May, Red is fifteen weeks pregnant

Red had never felt so confused. Well, that’s wrong. Anything that Gaster did left him in his trail of destruction, dazed and confused and hurt.

But he had never felt so confused here. 

Red had his hands tucked under his chin, staring at Papyrus as he started cooking breakfast. They needed groceries, and today was Blue and Stretch’s circled ‘date day’, so they and BB and Cinnamon were gone, leaving him, Sans and Papyrus.

He shifted his head, looking at Sans who appeared to be snoring with his head tilted back, in his normal cuddly hoodie. “Sans?”

Sans snored, but opened an eye socket slowly. “Yeah, kiddo? Sup?”

Red fiddled with a small napkin, frowning. “...I had a weird dream.”

“That so? What about?” Sans sat up, stretching and popping his back, Red giggling at him. 

“I um. Saw myself? But not myself. And he went in the...snoooow? And a golden hallway.”

Sans frowned further and further as Red talked, staring at him. “That so...did you um, talk...to yourself?”

Red bobbed his head. “Uh huh. He said to ‘get outta my head’,” he tried to sound just as gruff, but by the way Sans was trying not to laugh, it didn’t work. “And then he said something about a reset, then he cursed at me!”

He plopped his head back down, pouting. “I wasn’t that rude…”

Sans patted his back, pressing in that one part in the middle of his back that always seemed sore lately. He purred, nuzzling into his own arms a minute as Sans sighed. “I know, buddy. I gotta talk with Stretch later, okay? Did...the other you mention a machine or…?”

“No, but there was another tall skeleton! He was so, so tall,” he whispered, as if impressed. Sans let out a ‘snrk’, then patted his shoulder. “I imagine. We’ll talk about your dream with Stretch, okay?”

“Okay!”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stretch was less eloquent.

“Well fuck me. That’s freaky as hell.”

Red nodded, kicking his feet as they had met in the kitchen. Stretch had placed him on the counter and giving him a glass of milk since Red had gotten very, very, VERY thirsty in the past week. Part of the pregnancy, his papers had said.

Sans snorted. “You’re not telling me something I don’t know. But ah, that answers one thing.”

Stretch blinked. “What?”

“Red ain’t from the original universe of that branch of the timeline. Remember how we assumed BB and Cinnamon were just an offshoot of you and Blue’s?”

Stretch nodded, rubbing at the back of his neck. “So...Red’s world is an offshoot of the first Fell verse then?”

“Yeeeep.”

Red just drank his milk. He had no idea what they were talking about.

Okay, not all true. They had discussed the idea of ‘multi universes’ with him, and of course he’d caught on. It was simple physics after all.

But he didn’t know what that meant for him, now. “Sooo I’m not...the first?”

Sans shrugged. “Guess not, kid. Seems like yours branched off at some point. Which means we missed a world,” he sighed, rubbing at his face.

Stretch groaned, slumping into a chair. “That shit took moooonths to find, and now we have to find a place we don’t even know what it looks like?”

Red hiccuped after taking a gulp of his drink. “Yes! We have to help!”

Sans motioned at Red. “I mean, he’s not wrong. The only reason BB and Cinnamon got here is Cinnamon was fiddling with his machine. If the other Sans and Papyrus of that universe aren’t, or just don’t have one, then it’s no surprise we didn’t spot ‘em. Kid, wipe your mouth.”

Red made a face, pulling a paper towel from the holder and scrubbing at his face a bit. “He looked so sad,” he mumbled.

Stretch sighed louder. “Okaaaay, okay, don’t twist my arm. I’m all bones.” Him and Sans chuckled as Red giggled, grinning. “Okay, we’ll start working on our machine then, have it re-scan everything.”

Sans nodded, pointing at Red. “If you have another dream, try and ask him if he’s got a machine. He’ll know what you mean. Or maybe not.”

Red bobbed his head. “Okey doke! Stretch, put me down!” He held his arms out and Stretch lumbered up, heading over to heft Red up, spinning them in a slow circle before letting him down. Red giggled, tilting a bit before he sped away. “I’ve got to get my boot off later!”

Sans gave him a thumbs up as Stretch leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “Well. Guess we’re gonna have to get another room set up.”

Sans winked, leaning back and propping his legs up on the table. “Guess so.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, finally, Red could feel the cool air on his leg and not have to put it back in a boot. The nurse helping him take it off and taking measurements of his bone density smiled up at him. “Feels great, huh? Going to go run a marathon after this?”

Red smiled shyly, shaking his head. “I’m gonna go swimming with Blue!”

BB nodded, leaning against the wall as he watched them. “YES YES, HE DID PROMISE YOU. HOW IS IT?”

The nurse hummed, the measuring tool making a ‘ding’ and she nodded. “It’s dense enough not to worry about splintering now, and no more pitting. All we do now is just keep an eye out for any falls, or banging the leg too hard.”

Red nodded quickly. “Any more shots??” He didn’t like them, but he liked them better than the boot.

The nurse thought for a moment, slowly shaking her head. “No, but it wouldn’t hurt to take one a week for your growing baby. It will help you both, but you don’t have to, of course.”

Red seemed to waver a bit, then sighed and nodded. “Okaaaay.”

BB chuckled, coming over and gently nudging Red. “COME NOW, THIS MEANS WE JUST GET TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME TOGETHER, YES?”

Red still pouted as he nodded. “Yesss.” He perked up, grinning slyly at BB. “Can I have another ice cream?”

The nurse laughed as BB tutted. “YOU HAD ONE ON THE WAY HERE. VERY WELL, I SUPPOSE.”

Red cheered by wiggling in place, hopping up once the nurse let him. The bone felt a bit tender, but he couldn’t help but walk around BB in circles as they headed to the car, giggling excitedly.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The week passed quickly, and then another...and then another...and they were into June before they all knew it. Red had gained a bit of weight, and Boss had grown quickly from the tiny ‘piranha’ into a...well, a bit like a small baby doll that humans bought at the store.

Except skeletal.

Red had back aches and hip aches and joint aches. Nothing he did seemed to help, although lounging in the bath seemed to soothe him at least for a while.

Sans, Stretch and Red-sometimes Cinnamon since he knew about the mechanics of the machine a little-were trying to get in touch with the one that looked like Red. Sometimes Red managed it, sometimes he couldn’t speak to him. 

The other him knew about the machine, but it was destroyed, he claimed, and then he ignored Red’s chattering, seeming really sad after that.

He hadn’t gotten ahold of the other him in a few days...

Boss’ kicks could now be felt, and Red had cried when he first felt it, blubbering about his baby and the tiny feet and wailing as he hugged Blue, the one to have woken him up that day.

Every so often, Boss would yawn, or he would hiccup, or he would shift and kick his feet out a bit. It was so adorable, and Red had Cinnamon take many photos of the incidents. 

He still disliked when anyone but Red touched the belly, pattering his hands against them almost angrily. If the feeling didn’t make Red so uncomfortable, he would find it hilarious.

BB had started to look for a baby doctor-(“But, Dr. Aya…?” “IS FOR NEWBORNS, AND YOU. THIS DOCTOR IS FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN.” “Cooool.”)-and the time came for their decision about Red going to school.

Toriel had brought a test for Red to take. He was lounging on the couch, no longer able to drag his legs up as good as he could, and he had shoved several pillows behind his back so he could sit up. “What’s it for?”

“It is merely to test your knowledge, that’s all. So we can see what you should learn better.”

Red nodded, taking the test from Toriel, who shooed all the skeletons out into the kitchen with her.

Red shrugged, working for the better part of an hour on it, having to take a few breaks as his back twinged leaning over.

Science? A breeze, even if he had to dust off a few formulas in his mind.

That was the only thing that was, really. There was reading comprehension, which he thought he did fairly well on. History, which all he knew was basic Monster questions, but beyond that he had no idea who was the Matriarch of the Spider Clan nor what year they had made New Home.

English was very, very hard. What was a noun? A verb? Adverb? That sounded made up. He huffed, and instead of answering-because ‘intelligent people never guess, they know’-he merely marked the questions he didn’t know with a question mark to the side.

At the end were a series of ‘socialization’ questions.

Some were easy. You didn’t cross the street until the sign turned green. You had to have a driver’s license to drive a car. It asked whether it was proper or not for someone to walk into a job interview in a bikini, and while he wasn’t sure what ‘interview’ meant, he knew that a bikini was for the pool or beach, so he wrote down ‘no’.

Then, he was stumped. 

‘If a person comes up to you and pushes you, what should you do?’

Hmm. Good question. He thought for a moment, swinging his legs, before he scratched down his answer. 

‘Cry and beg for forgiveness’

There! Perfect! Oh wait…

‘Or try to run’

Better!

Red smiled at himself, wiggling in place as the baby shifted, settling lower into his hips. This test was eeeaaaasy.

One question asked if he should pet stray dogs, and instead of responding, he doodled a dog he had seen last week at the doctor’s. When asked if someone asked him to steal something, would he do it, he wrote ‘Only if they made me.’

It asked if someone asked him to get in their van, what should he do. He responded that he would ask if they knew his friends, or, ‘why?’

There was a list at the end that said ‘which of these places should you not be very loud in?’

Library, hospital, park, school, home, car…

He circled them all. No one should be very loud. Papyrus and Blue and BB were, but that was just the way they spoke!

Totally easy test. Now uh...he just had to figure out how to lay down to take a quick nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would pay good money for someone to respond to a quiz question with a doodle. I don't think it's been done before. Live your dreams, guys.
> 
> And yes, there's a bit of time skip, if only to get things rolling for school and trying to track down the Fell peeps. Boss is bIG BABY now lol


	34. Nursery Stuff!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gets to go to school!!! But first! Supplies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I didn't really mention: Monster school goes year round, not because they have so much to teach, but that the kids are still learning how to control their magic, how to tell when they have magical overload, what the difference between good healing and bad healing feels like, etc.
> 
> Unfortunately since Red's pregnant, he won't be able to attend those classes since he can't even use his magic until he's either of age or baby is born, whichever comes first (baby, of course)
> 
> Plus I imagine, you're underground...with nothing much to do...they don't want kids to just kinda wither away, and what else to do but teach kids if you don't have any other job to do?

June, Red is eighteen weeks pregnant  
“Well...I can’t quite say I’m surprised.”

Red had successfully gotten into prime napping position when Toriel came to take his test. He eagerly told her it was very easy but that he was going to take a nap now. She smiled at him and promised to wake him up for dinner, bustling back into the kitchen.

Cinnamon frowned, tapping a finger against his coffee cup. “That bad, huh?”

Toriel shook her head, slowly looking over the test. “Actually, no. He’s quite skilled in the sciences. I even threw a few college grade questions in and he manage to write out the correct formulas and everything.”

Sans snorted from where he sat. “He did live with a scientist, Tori. Kinda makes sense.”

“Fair. While he’s good with story comprehension, he wasn’t able to point out various parts of sentences.”

Stretch nodded. “I mean. Can...anyone?”

Toriel tutted. “It’s...important, especially if you find yourself scrambling for a word you don’t know. His history is about as good as I expected. He knew monster history up until we were locked underground, and that’s it.”

Cinnamon sighed, nodding. “Figures. He’ll definitely need a history class then.”

Toriel frowned, reading over the back questions. “Oh dear…”

“What is it?”

“I included a few common sense questions, such as stranger danger, bullying, crossing the street. He has a few...concerning answers.”

Cinnamon leaned over, snickering. “He drew a dog.”

“Adorable, truly. But he’s not very...self confident, it seems, and while he’s not trusting of strangers, he’s not exactly wary of them either. Hm.” She tapped the test on the table a bit. “I do think school would be beneficial, perhaps part of the day?”

Cinnamon shrugged. “Sounds good ta me.”

BB frowned. “MAYBE. WHAT CLASSES WOULD HE TAKE?”

Toriel adjusted her glasses a bit, ears twitching. “A remedial history class, a remedial English course, and we have a special spot during the day for the older students. It’s merely a Free Period, but they have a certain room to stay in if they want, or they can go outside, but cannot leave the grounds.”

BB looked thoughtful, looking at Cinnamon. “WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

Cinnamon took a sip of his coffee slowly. “Free period would be good for him, bonding with people that aren’t us. Or adults. I think he’d do good. You’d be surprised at how many kids want to be treated like adults but miss just being a kid for a split second.” He shrugged. “Besides, Red’s never been ‘a kid’, might be good to branch him out.”

BB sighed, nodding. “FINE. AFTERNOON CLASSES THEN, SO HE CAN STILL ATTEND THERAPY AND OTHER MEETINGS.”

Toriel smiled. “Perfect. I’ll set it all up then.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red was out on the town with Stretch and Blue again, out shopping for different things. The first stop they went to was a special Baby store, with little blocks on the top of the store spelling out the name. Red vibrated in excitement as Blue laced their arms together, walking through the parking lot.

Red had a cute set of overalls with a shirt that had a bunny on it! And his red sneakers. They were the best, although sometimes they felt a bit snug.

Stretch paused to grab a basket, and sometimes when Red went out with them he’d ride inside, but the wires would press into his back too painfully now, so he walked with Blue.

The store was massive. There were giant bears and a wall of baby clothes and other people with babies in strollers and toddlers beside them and bellies...Red pressed up close to Blue. “Lotta people…”

“IT’S OKAY! WE’RE GOING BY THE LIST BB GAVE US!”

Blue pulled out a small list written in BB’s sharp script. “FIRST...A CRIB! WE’D HAVE TO ORDER IT, WE CAN’T TAKE IT HOME TODAY.” Red nodded, following Blue who led them through the aisles, Stretch following lazily.

Red gasped as they ended up at a display aisle with many cribs. He squeaked, hugging Blue. “Look! Baby beds!”

“YEAH! WE GOTTA FIND A GOOD ONE!”

Red paused, frowning. “But...but what if I want him to sleep with me??”

Stretch patted his head as Blue read the little booklet attached to a dark brown crib. “Hey, that’s fine. A crib’s mostly a napping spot, or when he’s a bit bigger and ya can’t sleep with him, he sleeps in it. We should probably get one that switches into a toddler bed, bro.”

Blue nodded. “VERY SMART! RED, COME HERE!” He darted to a bright white crib and Red followed, giggling excitedly. 

This one could switch between beds by the railing slipping down and making a ‘space’ under the crib. He hummed, shrugging. “I dunno what’s a good crib, though.”

“This one seems pretty rad, right?” Stretch patted the crib.

Red bobbed his head. “Uh huh. Nothing in it though.”

Blue smiled. “BECAUSE YOU DECORATE IT WHEN YOU TAKE IT HOME!”

“Ooohhh…”

Blue wrote down the item number, checking it off on their list. “WE’LL TELL THE CASHIER! NOW...ROCKING CHAIR!”

“Ooooh!” Red squeaked, hurrying after Blue.

There was another display aisle, except there was a sign near the bottom of the chairs. ‘Please sit and try, just use caution!’ with a smiling baby under it.

Awww.

Blue hummed, looking from one to the other, reading the little booklets as Red followed, rubbing his belly as Boss squirmed and stretched, waking up now that Red was moving around more. “Which one is comfy?”

Stretch rubbed his chin, looking at one that had a pillow attached to the bottom. “Wanna try this one?”

Red shrugged, and he struggled into the chair slowly, making a face as he shifted his hips. “No, it’s just...too hard?”

Stretch nodded, helping him out of the chair as Blue pointed at another one.

Red could only tolerate this game of magical chairs for so long, his pelvis aching from the small bits of pain and getting irrationally irritated. He knew he shouldn’t be, but well, it didn’t help his feelings.

Stretch shooed Blue on to go and inform the cashier of their crib choice, leading Red to the next aisle. “Here, no rockers, they’re all made outta wood. How about a glider?”

Red frowned, sighing as Stretch helped him into a blue one. This one felt...oh...ooohh. It felt really, really good. He sunk into the plush blue softness of the chair, and it came with a little footstool that he shifted his foot up on. It moved with him, and he sunk down further with a groan, his belly pushing up a little. “I like thiiiis one.”

Stretch snickered. “I uh, can tell. You wanna keep going or…?” Red whined, nuzzling into the chair. “Nooo, I’m comfy.”

Stretch nodded as Blue came back with a grin. “OH! I LIKE THAT CHAIR. WANT US JUST TO BRING THINGS BACK FOR YOU TO DECIDE ON?”

Red thought about it for a moment, still gliding slowly. The baby at first,didn’t like the rocking, rolling a bit and shifting, but it seemed after a few seconds, Boss had settled down, the little movements indicating he was fast asleep. Red quickly nodded. “He fell asleep so I’m gonna stay right here!”

Blue laughed. “AWWW HE GOT ALL TUCKERED OUT. ALRIGHT, WE’LL BE BACK!” And off they went around the store.

Every so often Blue or Stretch would appear again, holding up folded sheets or small clothes. Red decided on a cute set with race cars, and little bunny pajamas for one set. Blue came back with a car seat, but Red didn’t like that it wouldn’t click into place, so Blue switched it for a better one.

Stretch showed up with a funny pillow, and he showed that it would help hold the baby up against Red when he felt tired but Boss had to eat. Red liked it, it was soft and squishy, so he held onto it while they went back through the store.

An associate appeared with a small bottle of water. “Here you go, you okay?”

Red blushed, nodding as he took the water slowly. “Uh huh...baby fell asleep and it’s nice.”

They laughed, waving a hand. “Oh I understand that! A lot of new mothers say the same thing, send the spouses out into the store while they have a quick nap or something. Need any snacks or anything?”

Red giggled, shaking his head as he took a sip of water. “No, but um, thank you!”

They nodded and left, going off to assist another couple with choosing a car seat.

Blue appeared with a pic of a stroller and Red had to squint at it on Blue’s phone to see it. It was big, with room under it for groceries or a baby bag, it said, and switched from infant to toddler to child, if need be. “Cooool!”

“I KNOW, RIGHT?” Stretch appeared with a weird wrap thing. “This ya carry the baby on your chest, leave your hands free.”

“Oooh!” He squeaked, giggling. “That’d be fun!”

They grabbed a baby bathtub, which Red found amusing for some reason, a baby monitor so if Red had to leave Boss with anyone, he could make sure he was okay, and…

“What is that?”

Stretch shrugged, twisting the box in his hand. They had gotten Red away from the comfy glider-which he pouted about, by the way-and they were getting the last few things. “Um...says it’s a breast pump?”

Red stared at him. “..for...what???”

“I. Don’t know???”

They were both very confused and Blue rounded the corner with a very adorable bear. “I FOUND THI-WHAT ARE YOU DOING.”

Stretch held up the box. “What is this for?”

Blue shrugged, looking at the list. “I DUNNO, BUT IT’S ON THE LIST. IT CAN’T BE..FOR..YOU KNOW. IT’S A BABY THING RIGHT?”

Stretch nodded, putting it in the buggy. “Right, I guess.” Red shrugged, gushing over the bear with Blue as they checked out.

The next stop was the store, as Red had found that he was getting to go to school!! He had to get spirals and notebooks and pencils and pens and a backpack and...there were a lot of people here, just like last time. So many people.

He tried to ignore it as they chose map colors and a three ring binder, but he could feel himself panicking, bending over a bit to clutch his belly.

“I-I don’t feel good…”

Blue stopped, looking back at him with a shocked look before he wrapped his arms around him. “HEY, COME ON. IT’S OKAY. LET’S GO OUTSIDE!”

He looked at Stretch who gave him a thumbs up, and Blue led Red outside back onto the bench. Red frowned at his lap, fiddling with his fingers. “I dunno why I don’t feel good. I liked the other store.”

“YEAH, BUT THERE WASN’T A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE EITHER. MAYBE YOU JUST DON’T LIKE CROWDS?”

Red shrugged, shifting when Boss had kicked up against his belly. They chatted a bit about Boss and the nursery furniture and the weird breast pump before Stretch appeared with the stuff.

With that, they headed home, so Red could climb up onto Sans and tell him about the most amazing chair he’d ever sat in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll want a chapter from Boss' POV bc it's gonna be adorable, I swear
> 
> (Also BB has no idea what a breast pump is for either, but he saw it online and figured it was important)
> 
> (The OBGYN will tell them, don't worry)


	35. Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boss has some opinions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk when babies start having thoughts but Boss is a ~magic~ baby so this means he's super smart and cool and awesome obviously

June, Red is eighteen weeks pregnant

Mama is the BEST Mama of all!

Boss didn’t know of any other Mamas but it had to be true!!!

Every morning, when Mama got up, Mama would take his shirt off and greet Boss-that was his name now, not Baby-happily and take his picture. He would try and get in a nice position so Mama had a good picture, and Mama would coo over him and rub in all the right spots over his safe space.

Boss would sometimes push his hand up against Mama’s, because he loved Mama.

Then Mama would get dressed for the day, and the other would come to greet him and take him for food. 

Boss does NOT like it when they touch his safe space! He could tell the difference between Mama’s hand and the other’s hand. The hand would curl around his safe space and he would beat at it fiercely to get away from Mama.

Sometimes the hand looked different, and sometimes the voice was different, but he remembered!!! He wasn’t stupid!! He would protect Mama!!

Because

The other was cruel.

The other was mean.

The other made Mama cry that one time, before they went out into the cold, before they ended up in a different house than the very very bright place that Mama lived in.

Sometimes Boss thought, maybe this wasn’t the other?? Maybe it was someone else????

But that didn’t make sense. There was only Boss-Baby, Mama, and the other. That was all, wasn’t it?

Sometimes he wasn’t so sure. He couldn’t see all that well. He just knew when the light around his safe space darkened, and how much it darkened by, and that would tell him when to attack.

Mama ate such good things. Boss knew it because he felt happy after each meal, and he would wiggle and stretch to show Mama he was happy too!

Sometimes he got woken up by Mama moving around. He didn’t like it too much, and he was a bit grumpy, but he tried to forgive Mama. Mama didn’t know when he fell asleep too often, and Boss took a lot more naps than Mama did.

Mama was the greatest, he just moved around a lot!!!

Sometimes he heard a voice that would make Mama laugh. They sounded nice, even though they sounded different each time. Boss liked them more. He wished they were around more than the other.

He liked it most when Mama was happy.

Boss hoped, when he got big like the other, and made him go away, he could make Mama happy too! He’d read books like Mama does, and take pictures, and rock like Mama is…

Back and forth...back and forth…

Boss shifted, settling into a ball with a hiccup. Someday. But for now, Mama wanted Boss to sleep. So he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boss is STILL a baby tho, and he has no idea who the others are lmao. Kinda like a goldfish. Forgets each time and just starts kicking lol.
> 
> Boss is def going to love his daddies after tho, he just can't quite uh, see ;P
> 
> (But growly Boss if anyone takes him from Mama lmao)
> 
> up next: Schooooool!


	36. Pregnancy Woes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gets things set up, has a dream, and has worries, in order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Choosing a doctor is hard, isn't it? Also it's no jab at any particular doctor, I just had no idea what to put so lmao

June, Red is eighteen weeks pregnant

They had decided to set up the crib in Red’s room. It wasn’t too big to take up all the space, and they put it at the end of the bed so he could get to it easier. BB tucked the mattress cover over it tightly as Cinnamon tightened the bolts on it. For now, they had set the glider up in the living room so Red could relax better than he had been on the couch.

As Red’s ability to do physical things had decreased, Lax and his doctor had suggested more mental exercises. And swimming. He liked swimming. 

Sans had gotten him a puzzle book of all different kinds, so he rocked in his glider slowly, marking it up with a sparkly purple pen, his tongue peeking out as the others worked to set up the crib.

Papyrus was with him downstairs, having some kind of movie on and chatting with him. He cooed over little Boss and patted Red’s belly. Boss of course acted like a devilish little boy, squirming around angrily until Papyrus’ hand was removed. 

“I WONDER WHY HE DOES THAT?”

Red shrugged, cooing as he swept his hand down, calming Boss easily. “I dunno! He’s so full of energy. Maybe he gets scared of the big shadows?”

Papyrus nodded slowly. “THAT MAKES SENSE! I WOULD BE TOO! DID YOU MANAGE TO FIND ‘PERSNICKETY’?”

Red frowned, shaking his head as he tapped his pen on the paper. “No, it’s just well hidden!! Very hard.”

Papyrus nodded in agreement, standing up and getting Red a cup of juice and some raisins for a snack. The doctor told him to snack more since he was feeling more tired recently, although Red didn’t exactly feel hungry, but he did as he was told, chewing on the raisins as he stared at his book.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...Sans? Are things okay?”

Red was ‘dreaming’ again, or visiting, rather. His other self was lying on his bed, staring at the wall.

“Eh. Yeah. I guess. The fuck you care for?”

“We wanna help you!” Red chirped.

His other self grunted. “Whatever. We’re fine.”

“You don’t sound fine. You sound tired.”

His other self sighed. “Look, just talk about your baby and leave me alone.”

Red hesitated, but started filling him in on how his baby was coming along. It wasn’t a very productive visit, and the other him seemed...really, really sad.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mr. Tart…?”

The group had disbanded after their usual meeting. It always ended in tears, whether they were happy or sad depended on what happened. Charles had come back to the group, eager to share that his girlfriend was acting nicer, that she apologized for what had happened and it was all okay.

Mr. Tart gently reminded him this was the fifth time she apologized for throwing glass at him out of nowhere or during an argument.

Charles had deflated, but he seemed to have known it beforehand anyway. He just didn’t want to accept it.

Mr. Tart was a very tall human man with funny glasses and hair on the side of his head. He was very soft spoken, and very kind. He turned to Red with a smile. “Yes, Red?”

Red smiled up at him. “I-I bought a crib the other day for Bossy! It’s very big and it’s in my room!”

“How wonderful, Red. It’s still a little while until you have him, isn’t it?”

Red nodded, rocking on his feet a little as the group started to leave the small room. “Yeah! I can’t wait.”

Mr. Tart nodded. “Of course. Is there something you wanted to share with me besides that?”

Red sucked on his teeth, rocking a bit for a moment. “Mm. I think. Boss doesn’t like everyone??”

Mr. Tart pulled up a chair, taking a seat and allowing Red to take one as well. “Remember what we went over, Red? How sometimes we project emotions onto things and people and it’s not the truth?”

Red nodded morosely, cupping his belly. “But, he gets so worked up when one of the others touch him. But not me!”

Mr. Tart adjusted his glasses, chuckling softly. “You’re his mother, Red. He’s connected to you. It’s natural.”

Red sighed, slumping a bit. “You think so?”

“Well. There...may be the possibility that, as he grew, he knew any time someone was near, they would hurt you. It could be he still believes that’s going to happen, so he fights to defend you, in a manner, or himself.”

Red fidgeted, frowning. “H-How do I fix it? I don’t want him scared...and I don’t want him to hate my friends!”

Mr. Tart laughed softly. “Oh, Red, he’s a baby. While these events may stick with him, for a time, with love and guidance he’ll heal as well. It could be that by the time he’s a year old, he’s eager for the hugs of others and is a loud child.” He patted Red’s hand gently. “However, if you have concerns as he grows, it won’t hurt to take him to therapy, as well.”

Red nodded slowly. “I suppose. He’s still little.”

“He sure is, and children are surprisingly resilient. Now, I believe if we wait any longer, Papyrus may come crashing through my window again.”

Red burst into laughter, having to pull himself out of the chair to go home.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“AFTER COMPARING AND CONTRASTING, DETAILING, AND THEN CONVERSING WITH VARIOUS FRONT DESK NURSES, I HAVE NARROWED DOWN THE PEDIATRICIANS TO A TOTAL OF THREE DIFFERENT ONES.”

BB tapped the papers together, handing them to Red who was rocking in his chair. Red took them curiously as Stretch chuckled from the couch. “And it only took you three hours.”

“YES, I’M GETTING FASTER.”

Stretch snorted as Red squeaked. “Okay! ...what do I do now?”

BB nodded. “WELL, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND THINGS THEY BELIEVE IN. DR. JANICE,” he pointed at one page with the image of a black haired woman on it. “IS SOUGHT AFTER, BUT HER STRENGTH LIES IN DELAYED CHILDREN, HELPING THEM LEARN MOTOR SKILLS AND HELPING PARENTS WITH FINDING VARIOUS THERAPIES. BUT SHE’S HAD MONSTER CLIENTS, SO I ADDED HER IN.”

“DR. HITASHI,” he pointed at the next one, a grey haired man whose eyes were crinkled shut, “IS OLDER THAN MOST PEDIATRICIANS AND THUS MAY HAVE OLDER BELIEFS, HOWEVER HE ALSO DEALS WITH MONSTER PATIENTS. ANOTHER PLUS IS HE’S A LIFETIME DOCTOR, HE DEALS FROM INFANTS TO ELDERLY PATIENTS.”

“DR. YOS,” this one was a monster doctor, which looked like...a key? Kind of? “IS A MONSTER PEDIATRICIAN AND DEALS WITH THEM PRIMARILY. ONLY MONSTER PATIENTS, IT SEEMED. HE’S ALSO A NUTRITIONIST, THE ONLY DOWNSIDE I COULD FIND IS THAT HE IS VERY RELUCTANT TO SEND HIS PATIENTS TO ANY HUMAN DOCTORS WHEN THEY’RE JUST AS SKILLED.”

He seemed irritated at that, but Dr. Yos was well known in small circles and praised well.

Red nodded slowly. “What about these two? What’s um, the downside?”

“AH. WELL. DR. JANICE IS MORE OF A SPECIALIST, SO I DON’T BELIEVE SHE’D TAKE ON BOSS UNLESS HE REQUIRES IT. DR. HITASHI HAS MANY PATIENTS, SO HE MAY BE HARD TO GET IN WITH, BUT WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT’S TRUE FOR ALL.”

Red nodded again, groaning as he held the papers to his face. “Choooooiceeees.”

Sans snickered. “Yeah, they suck. I mean he doesn’t have to pick just yet, does he?”

BB tapped his finger on his chin. “NO, I SUPPOSE NOT, HOWEVER WE DO NEED TO PICK SOON SO WE CAN UPDATE THEM WITH THE SITUATION WITHOUT WORRYING WHEN RED WOULD GO INTO LABOR.”

Red peeked over the papers. “Can we go see ‘em, maybe?”

“NOT A BAD IDEA. VERY GOOD, RED, I’LL MAKE THE NECESSARY CALLS THEN.” And off he marched after getting the papers back. Stretch snickered. “He’s so babying you, dude.”

Red giggled, smoothing his blanket over his belly and sticking his tongue out. “Jeeealous!”

Sans made an ‘oooh’ noise. “He got you on that one.”

Stretch snorted. “Yeah yeah. Alright, ready to finish Secret of Nim?”

“Yes!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm kinda leaning to Dr. Hitashi, he feels like an old grandpa)
> 
> School chapter coming soon, I promise :) It'll be excellent!!


	37. Red's School Days, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red goes to school!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making up folks is hard, so I stole some

June, Red is nineteen weeks pregnant  
Red held tightly onto the straps of his new backpack. It was pale blue, and he had marked his name on it in red marker. It had a scene with a puppy on it, and he had stuffed it full with spirals and pencils and all sorts of things!

The weight was actually nice, digging into that one spot he couldn’t reach. 

He was dressed in a nice sweater dress that BB had gotten him along with a pair of really cute kitten socks that Stretch had gotten him, and his sneakers! The sweater dress was down under his knees and was very, very warm.

Boss did not approve of being covered up, or maybe he just fed off of Red’s nerves. He squirmed around all morning!

He tried to concentrate as Toriel led him through the halls. Cinnamon had brought him to school, promising him that if he needed anything, he could come find Cinnamon. Toriel had offered to show Red where his classes would be, so...here they were.

The halls were sparse as the bell had rung and most were rushing to their rooms. Toriel smiled down at him. “Most of the time, if a student is late to class, it is alright so long as it is not longer than ten minutes. However, I have informed your teachers to be lax with this rule, as sometimes little babies have minds of their own.”

Red giggled, bobbing his head. “Yeah! He made me sick a looooot one time!”

“Oh yes, poor thing. Just do not make a habit of being late, alright?”

“Yes, Miss Tori!” He chirped, bouncing a little on his heels as they approached one door. “This is your English class. Mr. Pi is your teacher, and I will be by to take you to History, okay?”

Red nodded again, looking through the little window of the door, then back at Toriel. “Mm, okay...thank you!”

Toriel smiled. “Of course. Have a good time!”

She shuffled down the hall, and Red took in a breath. He felt very, very nervous, Boss didn’t approve of course so he would shift and squirm, making him feel even worse.

So he...just pulled on the doorknob, opening it slowly and ducking inside. Everyone turned to the door.

There were so many different monsters. A reindeer, a jelly, a weird dog, a tree...at the front desk was a snake with glasses and a suit, and he raised up his tail to flick a page. “Ah yes, our new student. Come here, stand here.” Red shuffled forward, face red as a few students started to whisper.

The snake, Mr. Pi, tapped a ruler on his desk. “Students, none of that. Our new student is Cinnamon’s distant nephew...or...cousin, it wasn’t quite clear. Doesn’t matter. Would you please introduce yourself?”

Mr. Pi sounded as bored as BB did when he read instructions on how to fix the crib. 

Red nodded, opening his mouth slowly. “I-I’m Red...um, Skeleton. I live with Cinnamon, an-and the others. N-Nice to meet you all,” he mumbled.

Mr. Pi nodded. “Very good. Take a seat, wait, here.” He wrapped a tail around a textbook, reaching it over to Red who took it with a nod, scurrying off to an empty desk.

The desk, thankfully, could be pulled up so he could sit, as he could not squish himself into the seat unless he was just, well, not pregnant. He sighed, pulling out his little pouch of pens and a spiral. All his stuff made the desk seem...small.

“Now open your textbooks to page 320, we’ll start with Robert Frost’s…” Mr. Pi started to speak, his tail grabbing up some chalk and writing on the chalkboard. Red stared in confusion, not sure of what to write down, jumping when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He looked over quickly, flushing. It was the reindeer monster. “Hey, you okay? I’m Noelle. I didn’t know we had a new student,” she whispered. She had little buck teeth and antlers and she was so nice!!!

Red nodded, whispering back, “I um, it’s all new to me...what am I supposed to do…?”

Noelle smiled at him, shifting to show her own spiral to him. “Here, look, taking notes is pretty easy, I’ll show you.”

Red stared on, nodding as Noelle softly explained which was important to remember, and which wasn’t worth it. She helped him make lists and little bubbles to keep thoughts in.

He liked her. A lot.

He looked up from the book to see Mr. Pi was looking at them as he waited for everyone to take notes on the poem of the wagon he had stopped on. He gave Red a quick smile, then continued talking about the importance of the wagon.

The class was over quickly, the bell ringing and everyone starting to get up. Mr. Pi tapped the ruler. “Do pages 121 through 123, answer all the odd questions. I’ll give you all three days to finish. Off to lunch.”

They started out the door, some of the students laughing and playing around, some of them rushing off to lunch. Red waited until there wasn’t a lot of students left before lifting up his desk slowly, sliding out. He felt really weird sitting so still for an hour. Which. Was weird since he did that often.

But in a comfier chair!

Noelle gathered up her own spiral, smiling at him. “Hey, do you wanna sit with me and my friends at lunch? Today’s ah, cheesy breadstick day!”

Red smiled shyly, hugging his textbook tightly. “U-Um, okay! Is it lunch already?”

“Yuh huh, it’s only about forty five minutes though.”

Red nodded, following her easily but Mr. Pi stopped him. “Red, come here for a moment.” Noelle looked at Red nervously, smiling at him as he headed over to the snake teacher.

“Yessir…?”

Mr. Pi’s tail flicked through a few papers. “Toriel has informed us of your...unique situation. Instead of the usual questions I have my students do, I have prepared other homework for you. Ah, here.” He pulled out a binder, handing it to Red. “This is for specifically your homework. Here’s the first one.” He handed Red a page with a giant rectangle on it with lines. 

Red looked confused. “What is it?”

“After a week of homework, I’ll check your binder and grade it then. This homework, I’d like you to write about anything. Anything at all, so long as you fill up the page.”

Red nodded slowly. “Mm, okay! Thank you, Mr. Pi!”

Mr. Pi chuckled. “Off to lunch with you.”

Red hurried out, Noelle was nervously hanging near the door and she jumped. “Wh-What’d he want? Are you in trouble?”

“No um, he gave me homework!” 

Noelle nodded, smiling at him. “Oh! Cool. Let’s go!”

They walked down the hall, Noelle stopping at her locker to put up her textbook. Red just put all his things in his backpack. It was making it heavy, but he didn’t mind it exactly. It was making him stand up a little straighter, giving him a bit of relief.

“So where’d you move from?”

“A really snowy place!”

Noelle giggled. “Really? Wow! I like snow. How old are you?”

“Fifteen!”

“I’ll be fifteen in a month!”

They giggled and chatted as they entered the cafeteria, Noelle putting a jacket into a chair, motioning Red to lay his backpack on the back of one chair. He hooked it on there, following her to the line. She leaned back against the wall and he followed her lead, sighing at the slight chill of the concrete. It felt good between his shoulders.

Noelle smiled, bouncing on her feet a bit. “Ah, so! What do you like to do? Oh do you have a partner for the science fair? Are you going to the prom, you think? I don’t think I will but, you know, maybe if I meet someone,” she chattered on. Red nodded along with her, smiling, and while she was sweet asking about him, he just...he didn’t know how to answer anything!

After a moment she paused, tilting her head as they took a step closer to the door of the place where they’d get their food. “Everything okay?”

Red shrugged, rubbing at his arm lightly. “I dunno. Yes? Um. I don’t know what...prom is. Or school things. Or...anything.”

“Oh that’s okay!” She chirped, taking a step through the door and grabbing up a milk, handing him one. “If you don’t know something, you can always ask! Plus I know some of what we do is a little like human schools so it’s different.”

Red just nodded, following what she grabbed. He ended up with a tray of cheesy breadsticks-they looked weird-with a side of salsa, a small cup of red applesauce, but instead of the green beans she got he quickly nabbed the mashed potatoes, almost drooling. He was so hungry.

They left the small room, heading to their table.

At the table sat another bird like monster, who was busy playing on some screen thing, staring at it through his glasses as he grumbled. Along with him was another mermaid monster, except this one had bright pink scales and hair. Noelle squeaked, happily sitting in her chair. “Berdly, stop playing, it’s time to eat!”

Berdly grunted in response as Red sat down, immediately digging into his mashed potatoes. “Geeze dude, what’s the rush?”

“They’re soooo gooood!” He whined, already finishing them off. He pouted for a second before the mermaid slid him hers. “I’ll trade you for the applesauce~”

“Okay!” He gave her his, and she brightened up, nearly doing the same as him and gulping it down in seconds.

Berdly rolled his eyes, finally putting the game down. “Well, seems we got someone as good manners as you, Lorelei.”

Lorelei glared at him. “Shut up, Berdly, or I’ll toss you in the trash again.”

“Take a joooke, goooosh.” He grumbled. “Anyway, who’re you?”

“I-I’m Red!” Red squeaked. Berdly sounded mean, but so did Lorelei?? They didn’t act like how his friends did...well, okay. Lorelei reminded him of BB, except she wasn’t hugging him.

Noelle nodded, peeling her breadsticks apart. “We have remedial English together, he’s new to school!”

Lorelei clapped her hands, tilting her head. “Oh a new student~! How fun, how promising! Are you good with debates? Chess? Science?”

Red blinked, already half stuffing a salsa soaked breadstick into his mouth. “Science...what’s a debate? And chess?”

Berdly raised an eyebrow as he tossed a green bean into his beak. “Well don’t sound stupid or anything,” he said sarcastically. Something bumped under the table and he yipped, yanking his leg up. “Ow, geeze, Noelle!”

Noelle merely smiled. “Hm? What? Anyway, Red, they’re clubs, but it’s too early to join right now, you just got here! Lorelei! No petitioning for clubs!” She wagged a finger at her.

Lorelei shrugged, eating her other applesauce. “It’s never too early~ but fine. Perhaps Red can take one of his off periods and come see us~” she cooed. Red blushed, giggling as he nodded.

Noelle tutted, but smiled at Red as they ate, Berdly sometimes making snide remarks only to be shot down by Noelle and Lorelei. Red was very confused by him, but then Toriel met them at the door of the cafeteria as they had gotten up with the bell. “Hello, Red. Ready?”

“Oh! Yes! I have my backpack!” He squeaked, then hugged Noelle. “Bye! I’ll um, see you tomorrow!!”

Noelle squeaked, hugging back with a laugh as Lorelei pouted. “You’re leeeeaving?” She curled her tail sadly as Toriel shook her head. “Red has remedial History, which Noelle does not attend. Now, you three go on to class, I’ll keep an eye on Red.”

Noelle happily wished Red good luck and the three split away. Red giggled, bouncing on his heels. “Miss Tori! I made new friends!” He quickly grabbed onto her hand as she smiled. “I saw. They’re quite kind children. Do not let Berdly hurt your feelings, okay?”

“Okay!”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History was about the same. A gentle sheep monster with a cane softly introduced Red to the class. She handed him a book and had him sit at a round table that the sheep sat in the middle of the group. The desks were in a ‘horseshoe’ shape. It was weird.

There weren’t as many students here, a few looked bored with the whole thing, one of them had a large steel thing in their ear that they tilted towards the teacher whenever she spoke, and one was asleep on their arms.

Red took as many notes as he could. The sheep, Miss Luna, was soft spoken and slow, which was very good for Red as he could spend time making sure his notes were correct.

She called him over at the end of class, having assigned the rest to study for a quiz tomorrow. “Your test will not affect your grade this time, dear. I was told to see where you are in history, so I will include various questions from over the years,” she spoke, a slightly shaky voice but one that held warmth to it.

Red blushed, nodding. “O-Okay...um, should I study too?”

“I would not say no to more studying, but if you cannot tonight, that is alright. Go on, then, Miss Toriel is waiting for you.”

Red nodded, hurrying out the door.

Toriel smiled at him, letting him grab her hand. “Now is your free period. Everyone has one and it is a time to spend in a classroom with various others. You’ll make more friends, I’m sure. Are you ready?”

Red bobbed his head, grinning. “Yes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man , fuck Berdly all the way to yesteryear, like, I know Kris like, super quiet and stuff in the game but shit man, what'd he do to make Berdly just tear him apart like that
> 
> Also Noelle's dad wanted to throw something at him, so that's even MORE evidence!!!


	38. Red's School Days, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's met some new friends! Again!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy howdy. I had ideas for this but ah, Red can keep a little secret, right? ;)

June, Red is nineteen weeks pregnant

Red swung his legs from where he sat on the chair. The room was a little small, with a mishmash of things around, paintings and a desk and other chairs and a window. He felt a little...lonely for a while. Miss Toriel had said the others would be on their way, they just drop their things off at their lockers.

Red had carried his in. He loved his backpack!

He slumped a bit, whining at a pinch in his lower back. “Owww…” He wanted his comfy chair from back home…

The door opened and he twisted in his chair. A green fire person stood there in a school girl outfit. “Oh! Hello there. Are you joining us today?”

Red nodded. “I-I’m Red! I’m new!”

“Oh how fun!” She hurried in, dragging a chair close to Red and sitting down next to him. “I’m Fuku, Fuku Fire! This is my free period, too! Did you recently move here?”

Red bobbed his head, sitting up a little. “Y-Yeah, kinda! I live with um, Cinnamon!”

“He’s the best! He blew up the lab last year. Well not really, but we all had to go outside for an hour.” She rubbed the back of her head, laughing. “There’s ah, three others and they’ll be here soon!”

Red nodded nervously, and Fuku started talking about her homework she had and how she would have to start working on it all when she got home. Red happily talked about his own homework and how thrilled he was to start it off.

The door slammed open, making them jump and...it was the purple slime girl he had met on his first day here! He gasped, waving eagerly. “Hi hi hi!”

She laughed, waving back as she wheeled in on a skateboard. “Bone boy!!! Wondered how life was going for ya! Fuku this is him, that guy I met on the bus!”

Fuku’s fire brightened up. “Oh! Are you okay now?? Demeria said she was worried that you wouldn’t get your meal!”

Red nodded, blushing. “Uh huh! A nice bird monster took me inside. I thought your name was Flaria though…?”

Fuku’s entire face turned bright blue while the now named Demeria started cackling. Fuku turned to her where she stood and started smacking her arm. “Don’t laugh about this!! I made that when I was seven!”

Red was very confused as Demeria laughed harder. “D-Don’t fight, I’m sorry…!” 

Demeria snickered, grabbing Fuku’s hand and kissing a finger, making Fuku yank her hand away with a scandalized gasp, giggling a bit. “Oh we’re not fighting, Red, it’s just playing around.”

Demeria slammed down in a chair, one foot on her skateboard and wheeling it back and forth. “Hah so like, there’s this Undernet thing-”

“What’s Undernet?”

Demeria tilted her head. “Ummmm, You know. Online stuff?”

Red shrugged. She continued, “Anywho, there’s a game the kids play on it and you make up a ‘name’. Tell him, Fukuuuu.”

Fuku huffed, crossing her arms. “...her name was Flaria the Flare and she kicked enemy butt,” she muttered.

Demeria snickered. “Anyway I just call her that to get on her nerves.” She winked at Red nodded slowly. He...still didn’t get it, but it was a little funny.

As Fuku argued with Demeria that the name wasn’t that ‘funny’, while Demeria defended her position on it’s hilarity, another monster came through the door. He didn’t have arms, and he immediately tripped, smashing into the ground. After a moment he used his tail to push himself up. “I’m alright!”

“Heya, MK. New sweater?”

He had on a red and green striped sweater, and he nodded his bright yellow head. “Yeah yeah! My mom made it for me! Hey hey! Who’re you!” He skidded into a chair, wiggling his feet back and forth.

Red giggled. “I-I’m Red, I’m new to school!”

“Coool. Call me MK! Next month I’ll be 16 and I can start offense training!”

Demeria snorted. “MK you haven’t stopped talking about that since you turned 15.”

“Undyne teaches it! I’m excited!” He squirmed in place, kicking his feet harder as Demeria teased him.

Finally the last monster appeared. Another jelly like monster in a human form, with a brain in his head shaped portion, spiked portions dyed green like hair. He had on a white shirt, black sunglasses, and jeans with chains on them. “Heya. Sup?”

Demeria gave him a salute. “Sup, Kip.”

Kip nodded at Red. “Sup.”

Red blushed. “Um. ...sup…?”

Kip nodded, and trudged over to a chair, moving it around to sit on it with the chair facing backwards, crossing his arms over the back of it. “Sup.”

Fuku clapped her hands. “Wonderful! Alright! Ah, we should all greet Red then and, Red, you can tell us about yourself!”

Red flushed, ducking down as they all said ‘hi’ again to him, giggling. “Hi..um...I’m Red! I live with Cinnamon and the others...I have a baby!” He squeaked.

MK perked up. “A baby?”

Fuku gasped. “Oh! Really? Where are they?”

Red squirmed to sit up and immediately started pulling up his dress. “Here!”

“NO!”

Fuku darted forward to stop him while Demeria held up a sheet she had yanked off a table. MK complained about them hogging the baby while Fuku held onto Red’s hands which had pulled his dress up to his thighs. “Red, you can’t do that! It’s...indecent!”

Red frowned, looking at her then at Demeria and back. “Huh?”

“It’s...you know...you’re not supposed to show everyone!” Fuku was blushing brighter.

“...my baby?”

Demeria groaned. “Nooo, Red, your...bottom parts!” She wiggled her shoulders in place as Fuku burst into blue flames, nodding into her hands.

Red hesitated. “..I have...boxers on.”

“Red, it doesn’t matter. It’s okay because we’re, you know, like you, but they’re not and it’s...well it’s indecent!”

“I don’t know what that means,” Red was tearing up, he didn’t know what he had done wrong. Fuku sighed softly, hugging him around his shoulders gently. 

“Oh Red...don’t cry. It’s just, there’s things you can do at home and alone but you can’t out in public.”

Red hugged her back, sniffling. “ ‘m sorry...everything’s still new…”

Fuku looked over at Demeria in confusion but nodded at Red. “I know, I know...here, hang on, we’ll cover you up and you can show the baby.”

Red nodded, letting her go so Demeria could tuck the sheet around his waist, giving him a thumbs up. “Perfect!”

“UGH you guys get ALL the fun!!! We wanna see!” MK was kicking wildly with a groan. Kip grunted. “Baby.”

Red tucked his sweater up, a little more careful not to flash his breasts. Boss was all curled up, facing out, tiny little eye sockets flickering as he squeezed his hand lightly

Fuku squealed. “Oooh he’s so cute! A baby!” She swooned over him while Demeria snickered, leaning up from her chair after she sat down. “Duuude, he’s like, so fucking biiiig. Like a damn football!”

Red cooed at his baby, rubbing near his head. “He’s still so small! Tiny tiny~!”

MK had stars in his eyes. “Duuuuddddddeee!!!” His tail waved around wildly. “Are ya gonna bring him to school? Dude, that’s so neat!”

“Y-yeah! Miss Toriel said I could.”

Kip nodded at him. “Cute kid. Not as ugly as weird human ones.”

Fuku scolded him for calling babies ugly as Demeria scooched her chair closer to Red, her inky hair dripping lightly. “So like, does he got a name?”

“Boss! He’s my bossy little baby!”

Fuku clapped her hands to her cheeks, cooing. “That’s soooo sweet, Red!”

“Who’s the dad?” Kip asked, scooching a bit closer.

Red blinked. “Huh?”

Demeria chuckled. “Ya know, the other parent? Like. Takes two to tango. Unless you’re a mermaid. It’s like, four….?” She started counting on her fingers.

Red’s face dropped, and he shook his head, looking back down at his baby. “Dun wanna talk about it.”

Fuku nodded. “That’s okay, you don’t have to! Can we touch?”

“Oh he doesn’t like-” 

But Fuku, a little too eager, had pressed her warm hand against his belly. Red didn’t mind, he always offered everyone to touch, but Boss sure did.

His eye sockets cracked open into little slits and his feet started kicking her hand angrily, mouth snapping at the air. Fuku gasped. “Ooohh, angry little fella~! He’s so cute!”

Red giggled. “Ah, he hates anyone who touches the belly. Except me.”

Fuku laughed, taking her hand away. Boss rolled around as if angry, but immediately calmed when Red swept a hand over his head. Boss nuzzled against the spot lightly, drifting back off to sleep.

Demeria whistled. “Can you say ‘Mama’s Boooy’?”

MK laughed. “Man, he’s got a temper! Damn, he could go into like, boxing or something! Or soccer! Dude...you think they got baby soccer?” He looked over at Kip with a grin.

Kip shrugged. “Babies can’t walk.”

“Yeah but you can stick a helmet on them!”

“...and...that would...do what, exactly?” Kip stared at MK who immediately started off with his idea of Baby Soccer, wearing helmets with velcro and smacking each other in the head.

Fuku laughed. “How about we watch a movie today and tomorrow we can do something fun?”

Demeria whooped, clapping her hands as she hopped up. “I’ll set up the projector!”

Fuku helped Red up out of his seat, adjusting his dress back and they dragged a few beanbag chairs around a giant white screen. Red slowly lowered himself into one, ‘oof’ing when he fell into it. “...I might need help getting up.”

Kip gave him a serious nod from his own bag. “I got you.”

Red smiled at him, shifting to get comfy and lacing his fingers over his belly. Demeria started up a movie that said ‘Wreck It Ralph’, scurrying over to dive into the bag with Fuku, cackling as Fuku scolded her for jumping around, before they cuddled up to watch the movie.

This was..

Nice.

It was nice not doing anything, or worrying about anything, and...Red couldn’t pinpoint it, but it was...really relaxing.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“SO, HOW WAS SCHOOL?”

Papyrus had made a nice big bowl of mashed potatoes since that was what Red had been craving lately, along with a salad and some bacon for everyone else. Red just...couldn’t take the grease, not right now at least.

Red swallowed his mouthful, grinning at BB. “It was fun! I went to English and I gotta write a story and I met Noelle and sat with her at lunch! Then I went to history and we have a test tomorrow!”

BB nodded along. “WONDERFUL. WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR FREE PERIOD?” He scooped up a bit of salad, taking a bite.

Red hesitated for a moment, swallowing down another bite. For some reason, some silly mischievous part of him didn’t want to tell about his little group of friends. He didn’t want to share how MK had wrapped his tail around Red in lieu of a hug, how Fuku had shown him her charm bracelet and Demeria had promised to show him how to skateboard tomorrow. How Kip had helped him off the beanbag and made a small joke about being eaten up. He just...wanted to keep it to himself, just a little while longer.

So he shrugged. “Nothin’.”

BB raised an eye ridge. “NOTHING?”

Red gave a little sly grin. “Nothing!”

Before BB could respond, Sans cut in. “Man, Nothing sounds like a whole lot more fun than anything I did today.” He shot a wink at Red who giggled, ducking his head down. “Nothing ain’t nothing to sneeze at, huh?”

BB nodded after a moment. “OF COURSE. EAT UP, RED, YOU SHOULD GET STARTED ON YOUR HOMEWORK.”

That’s right! He quickly finished his plate, darting off to the living room to get his backpack.

(‘Once upon-’

‘I like-’

‘I love my baby…’ it wouldn’t fill the page up, how much he adored his baby.

‘I was made in a lab,’ his story begins, and by the time he finishes, he faintly wonders how so much of his life can fit into such a tiny box.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo. Sad news! My gran's brother died. She uh, was really attached to him so she's really down.
> 
> I'm gonna update as I can, but Thursday will most likely have nothing as that's the funeral.
> 
> I'm wanting to bust out the Sans/Red cuddle chapter before all that at least, then, well, I'll figure the rest out, yo.


	39. Sans and Red's Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Sans spend some time together. It's cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red now owns a darling little doll and now he's gonna be a spaceman, like, you just...freaking watch. Baby got DREAMS

June, Red is nineteen weeks pregnant

When Red sets up ‘shop’ in the living room, Blue is switching channels on the TV while Sans had his feet on the coffee table. Red opened his history book slowly, not sure where to start. Sans looked over curiously. “Heya bud, what’s up?”

“Mm, Miss Luna says we have a test tomorrow…but said if I don’t study it’s okay. But I wanna!”

Sans nodded. “Sounds fair. Do you uh…know how to study?”

Red flipped a thin page slowly. “Nooo…not really.”

Sans shifted to sit up, dragging his feet to let them on the floor as he leaned over. “Well, let’s see. Ya can take notes…you can uh…hmm. Hey how about I ask ya something out of the book, and you see if you can answer it?”

Red perked up, pushing the book to him before wiggling into his glider. “Ready!”

“A’right…”

Some of the questions were easy. Red knew the King and Queen and a bit about the story of the Prince. He knew of the Barrier, and the Royal Guard. All the human history he didn’t know, except for some reason he knew about Greek and Roman mythology??? Sans looked at him and Red shrugged. “One of the scientists really liked it, and she liked to talk about it a ton before everyone told her to shut up.”

“Huh. Neat.”

Red giggled.

Then Sans helped him read the first chapter, slowly. He wasn’t sure how to take ‘notes’, and Sans figured it wouldn’t hurt not to at least for tonight, so it turned into a small story time with Red and Sans rocking in the glider a bit, Red nearly drifting off a few times. BB cut their ‘studying’ time short, having Stretch carry Red to bed once it appeared that he fully was asleep.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sans is the one to wake up Red the next day, lacing their arms together. “Heya kid, wanna go to the planetarium?”

Red squeaked, cuddling up to him. “What’s that!”

“Ya get to see the stars and stuff. ‘S pretty rad. We could hang out a bit, get ya outta the house.”

Red eagerly nodded before Sans led them into the kitchen. BB had made pancakes which were sooooo good! Red had finished them off and sped to the door, dancing in place, still wearing his nightgown from the night. Sans popped into view next to him. “Gotta get dressed before we go. Maybe some overalls?”

Red pouted. “Okaaaay.” He shuffled up the stairs to go and change. He liked his nightgown, it was just the right amount of softness AND he could see Boss through it! But he got dressed all the same into a simple stripey shirt that they had gotten him and overalls that happily curved over his belly.

With that he hurried after Sans, hugging onto him with a squeak. “Ready!!”

“Neato.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sans had a moped, like Cinnamon had a motorcycle. However, they still didn’t want to test Red’s ability to stay on either one, so they walked today in the nice warm weather. Red chatted on and on about his baby and a little bit about school from the day before. Sans nodded along, talking about what to expect at the planetarium, and that they had a gift store Red could get a little souvenir. Red seemed enthralled in the idea of seeing stars, but deflated a bit when they entered and it appeared there was…no one around. “…Sans? It’s all quiet.”

Sans nodded, shutting the door behind them before leading Red to the side down a small hall. “Yeah, most folks are at work or at school. We get it all to ourselves.” He winked and Red laughed, hugging his arm. They met up with a slightly bored looking human at a ticket booth, who allowed them in after informing them the show would start in about ten minutes.

Red squeaked at the sight of so many chairs, all of them tilted back up to a large curved screen in the ceiling, “Where do we go??”

Sans tilted his head. “This a-way.” He led Red through the center slowly, mindful of the slight squeeze, and they ended up in front of some chairs that had an empty space in front. Red settled in the one Sans motioned at, sighing happily as he leaned all the way back. “This is niiice.”

“Yup.” Sans plopped in his, lacing his hands behind his head. “Now, we wait.”

Red giggled, kicking his feet a little as they dangled over the edge of the seat. “What’s it look like? What’ll it do? Is it biiiig?”

“Eh, a little loud, but it’s pretty rad.”

Red wiggled excitedly, and Sans let him hold his hand as Red chattered happily, quietening down as the lights dimmed. “S…Sans?”

“It’s alright, it’ll brighten up, okay?”

Sans could barely see it, but Red nodded, shifting to lean his head against Sans’ shoulder.

And then the ceiling lit up with stars.

“The Big Bang,” came a voice as the stars moved in orbit, glittering and shifting around, “which made our universe as what it is today. Let us explore this exciting journey into the stars and galaxies!”

Sans was pretty sure there were stars in Red’s eyes as well.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Red had stayed perfectly still for the whole movie, which was about an hour and a half. If he wanted to ask something, he’d whisper it close to Sans, as if afraid of breaking the exciting explanation of how stars were born. At the very end, it showed a black hole, and they went ‘inside’ it, ending the movie with, “Let science be your guide!”

Sans stretched, wiggling their hands lightly as he shifted to sit up. “Well, how’d you like it?”

Red squealed, his feet wiggling as he nearly fell out of the chair, a little wobbly after sitting so long, hugging Sans. “It was so fun! It was bright and loud and then there were stars and a sun!!”

Sans nodded along as he walked them through the small hall again, as if he didn’t just watch the exact same thing as Red. He paused next to a small shop. “Ah, wanna head into the gift shop?”

“Please!” Red squeaked, bouncing on his feet. How could Sans say no to that?

Inside was a separate human, flipping through a magazine. Red sped to the ‘moon rocks’, eyes wide as he peeked over the edge of the bucket containing them. They didn’t hold his attention long and he slid from them to some tumbled rocks, then to a giant book about the Galaxy.

Sans nudged his shoulder, showing him a package of Astronaut Ice Cream. “Wanna try some later?”

“Okay!”

“Cool. See something ya want?”

Red puffed up his cheeks. “Not yet…”

Sans shrugged. “Well if ya can’t find it today, we’ll look again another day, yeah?”

Red nodded slowly, his attention drawn to some balls that clicked back and forth. Then he squealed, shuffling over to a darling little astronaut baby romper. “Sans!! For Boss! He can be an astronaut!”

Sans chuckled, giving a thumbs up. “Sure thing, kiddo. What about you, now?”

Red hugged the baby romper tightly, humming. “I dunno yet…” He looked around…the stones were pretty, and there were some kits they could make things with…his sight was drawn to a fairly big string doll named ‘Astroneil’. For some reason, it just…looked comfy to hug!

Red poked it gently, it turned out to be pretty thick and hard! But! He knew it would be nice to cuddle! He looked at Sans with big eyes as he poked it again. Sans chuckled. “Neato, let’s go check out and try out the ice cream.”

Red blushed happily, bouncing on his feet as they checked out, folding the baby romper to hold it better and letting Sans cut Astroneil out of his casing once they left, letting Red hug it tightly. He just REALLY liked him for some reason!

Sans stopped them near the entrance, and the trash cans. “Alright, let’s give it a try. If it’s gross, we’ll just spit it out.”

Red giggled, nodding as Sans gave him a small mushy piece. They both tossed it into their mouths. Sans made a face even as he swallowed. “That…left a lot to be desired. What about-”

Red’s head immediately plunged into the trash can, gagging as he held onto the edge, the romper and toy falling. Sans sighed, gently rubbing Red’s back as he coughed out the ice cream. “Ewww….”

“Ew is right, kiddo. Guess ah, Boss didn’t like that, huh?”

Red shakily pulled his head out of the can, nodding morosely as he tugged a little cloth from his overall pocket, rubbing at his mouth. BB had taught him to have one at all times, just in case of messes. “Nuh uh…”

Sans picked up the romper and toy, letting Red take the toy and hug it tightly. “Sorry, Red, what a bad end, huh? Here, let’s go and have some soup.”

Red perked up, happily leaning on Sans with a giggle. “Soup! Yes! Boss likes soup and I like soup!”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Later that day the sky turned dark and rumbly. An early summer storm, it appeared. Red came home nearly bouncing in energy, latching onto Sans who was upside down in the armchair. “It’s dark out!! And it makes boooom noises!!!”

“Yup, ‘s a storm.” He shifted, slowly slipping out of the chair with an ‘oof’. “How’d school go?”

Red instantly went into chatter mode as Sans led him to the kitchen. Mr. Pi requested him to write a story about an animal he liked, his test he wouldn’t know how he did but Miss Luna praised him for trying. Berdly called him a weird name, but Noelle kicked him again. When pressed for the name, he just shrugged, having already forgotten it.

He talked about how Toriel said next time he can go out to the recess playground if he wanted, and he beamed at that. Papyrus happily clapped for him. “AND YOUR FREE PERIOD? HOW DID THAT GO?”

“Mm, fine.” Red shrugged it off, and Papyrus left it alone, although Red had a glint in his eyes that read ‘I did something fun but won’t tell’. 

Papyrus had seen it in Blue’s eyes often enough. 

Sans just nodded along as Red chattered about Lorelei who ate five little cups of peaches that day, peeking an eye socket open as the wind outside picked up enough for the tree leaves to sway a little. “Huh, storm time. Guess we better heat the house.”

BB nodded as he nibbled on a sandwich. “YES, I’LL LOCK IT ALL DOWN. SHOULDN’T BE A BAD ONE THOUGH, NO WARNINGS WERE ISSUED.”

Red hummed to himself as they talked about the storm, his feet kicking under the table as he ate a few grapes happily.

He didn’t know what a storm was, but it was bound to be good!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“-ns-”

Sans’ face wrinkled, the remnants of his dream slipping in and out. What…

_boom_

Oh, right, he thought sleepily. Papyrus had eagerly announced that he and Blue were going to ‘tough it out in the woods’. Aka, they went in the backyard to get rained on all night in their clubhouse they made.

“…ns…”

Sans wasn’t sure why they did. But they were happy when they came in in the mornings, soaking wet and jittering with energy. Then again, they went outside when it snowed so bad it nearly locked them inside.

“…ans!!!”

Heh. His bro was so cool. A little weird, but cool. Besides, it meant he could starfish out on the bed in his NASA shirt and pajama pants, snoring loudly in the room. He loved sleeping with Papyrus-or Stretch, or the others if one of them was gone-but like…sleeping by yourself once or twice wasn’t so bad. He could-

“SANS!”

Sans jerked awake finally, snorting and gasping. “Wha-huh?!”

Standing next to the bed was Red, holding Astroneil tightly as he sobbed, shaking in place and burying his head in the string doll. He had on the slightly thin nightgown as it had been warm earlier. “I-It’s loud!” 

Sans blinked sleepily. “Wha-”

A flash of light, and without warning, a shattering boom that nearly shook their house. Red shrieked, launching himself into Sans’ lap and crying on his shoulder. Sans made an ‘oof’ noise, tilting back a bit so Red didn’t make them fall over. “Hey, hey…”

Sans wrapped one arm around Red, the other hand gently rubbing up and down his back as Red cried harder, shaking. “Sorry, bud, you ain’t never seen a storm before, huh?”

Red shook his head against Sans’ shoulder, sniffling and jumping when lightening struck again.

Sans shifted them up near the headboard, making the blanket follow them with a bit of magic. “It won’t hurt ya, it makes a bunch of noise but it’s all bark.” He chuckled.

Red whined, peeking up at Sans with watery eyes. “B-But Papyrus and Blue a-are out there…”

“Eh, they like it. Here.” He shifted, slowly leaning Red onto the pillows next to him, making a book float over to them. “You ever had a bedtime story?”

Red shook his head, sniffling and swiping at his eyes with his sleeve. “N-No, what is it…?”

Sans winked, setting the book up on his knee so Red could see. “It’s about Fluffy Bunny. You just relax and listen, kay?”

Red nodded, plunking his head on Sans’ shoulder with a shudder when thunder rolled again. Sans cleared his throat, his arm around Red’s back now, pressed on the side of his belly. Thank goodness Boss was asleep, or he’d be having a fit. “Fluffy Bunny was lost one day…”

Red watched the book with wide eyes, making a soft giggle at some parts, gasping when the bunny almost fell in mud. He jumped at a stray sound of thunder, but it was more muffled as the storm passed them.

It didn’t take long for Sans to finish the book-he had the thing memorized, but he thought Red would like the pictures-and he looked down where Red was. His face was sticky wet with tears, but he was sound asleep, evenly breathing even as thunder rolled again. 

Sans made the book go back in its spot, shifting them to get under the covers and let Red sleep on. Eh, he could sleep alone another day.

(The next time Sans had patted the belly-as Red had squealed about something Boss had done-Boss didn’t go into attack mode. Instead, he nuzzled up to his hand like he did with Red. Sans grinned cheekily at the others. “Heh, I’m the favorite.”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayoooo~ 
> 
> I spent the better part of yesterday backing up all the chapters AND characters into Scrivener. Why? Bc I have like 18 OCs mixed in here and I'm bound to lose track.
> 
> Plus there's some plot stuff that other characters have suggested to Red that I can write about in the future.
> 
> The next one is interviewing the docs, and something very fun for the whoooole group :)


	40. BB's Workings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BB gets Red to choose a doc. Only two are good. Also some fun times in the Teen Group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to make Yos suuuper racist (speciest?) but now BB's gotta kill a man.

June, Red is nineteen weeks pregnant

The first thing BB had done, was ensure Red went and changed into some comfy clothes since they would be out all day.

Then he made everyone else join in. Except Cinnamon, who was at work.

Stretch leaned in the back with a yawn, Red was stretched out in the passenger’s seat, sound asleep in a striped t-shirt and shorts. “So uh, we all gotta go?”

“YES.”

“…not that I’m arguing, but uh, why?”

“REASONS.”

Stretch shrugged at Sans, who shrugged back, listening back in as Blue happily talked about some action movie he and Papyrus were going to see later. Papyrus was happily filling Sans in of all the cool action sequences he would miss.

They pulled into a parking lot for the first pediatrician, and BB cleared his throat. “I’D GO INSANE IF I HAVE TO INTERVIEW ALL THREE DOCTORS. SO WE’RE SPLITTING THE LOAD.” He passed two sheets back, and Stretch took one while Blue took the other.

“BLUE, YOU AND PAPYRUS WILL TAKE RED TO SEE DOCTOR JANICE. THE QUESTIONS I WANT YOU TO ASK ARE ON THE SHEET. STRETCH, YOU AND SANS SEE DOCTOR HITASHI. I’LL SEE DOCTOR YOS.”

“So are we…not taking Red with us?” Stretch pointed at the still dozing skeleton. BB snorted. “YOU ARE, EVERYONE IS. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT WHETHER THE DOCTOR IS COMPETENT, RED HAS TO LIKE THEM AS WELL. HOWEVER, AS IT WILL BE TIME CONSUMING THE REST OF US WILL GET RED SNACKS OR DRINKS IN BETWEEN VISITS.”

Stretch gave a thumbs up as Blue bounced in his seat. “I’M READY!”

“ME TOO!”

BB nodded, and they gently woke Red up who wasn’t exactly thrilled but perked up with the promise of peanut butter bars and apple juice from Stretch. He got out of the car, stretching as BB relayed the plan to him.

“Mmmkay. What do I do?”

“SEE HOW YOU FEEL. ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. IF YOU DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE, THEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO SEE THEM.”

Red nodded easily. “Okay! I have to make sure they’re good for Boss!”

BB smirked. “EXACTLY. NOW, OFF YOU GET, WE’LL GET YOU SOME SNACKS AND LET YOU RELAX A BIT AFTER.”

And with that, they were off.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“I’m sorry, but you most likely won’t need me.”

They had gotten a small chunk of the doctor’s time when they came in. Red was sat in a plush chair and was very, very comfy.

Blue frowned, holding the piece of paper. “WHY NOT?”

Dr. Janice had her black hair pinned back, and she had soft lines around her eyes where she smiled constantly. She laced her hands in her lap, one ankle over the other. “I specialize in special needs children, from birth. If something goes wrong, if the baby isn’t developing according to milestones, then I’m the one who checks them out and says ‘yes this baby needs a little help’ or ‘they’re just a late bloomer’.” She smiled at Red. “Parents do not want to see me. They’re happy when they come in, but the first time…they’re not.”

Red shifted in his seat, frowning. “Mmm…b-but if Boss needs help…?”

“Then I’d be glad to take him on. Right now, according to the charts your OBGYN sent over, the baby is developing on time and without any fear of complications.” She smiled, leaning over and placing her hand on his lightly. “And you look like a very concerned mother. I’m assured that you won’t waste any time in calling me if the situation needs it.”

Red blushed darkly, giggling as Papyrus bobbed his head. “SO YOU DON’T THINK WE’LL BE HERE, THEN?”

“Not at all. There are some signs one can see during the pregnancy to judge it, some won’t be seen until birth. All the same, if you do require my services, give me a call any time. I have many resources for my patients and their parents.”

Red smiled. “Thank you!”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“THAT WAS SHORT.”

BB squinted at the group as Red made a beeline for Stretch who held out a peanut butter bar, ripping into it as if he hadn’t eaten in years. Blue nodded. “SHE ONLY DEALS WITH UM, SPECIAL NEEDS! BUT SHE SAID BOSS IS GOING ALONG WELL!”

Papyrus nodded and smiled. “BUT SHE DID SAY IF SOMETHING HAPPENED, WE COULD GIVE HER A CALL!”

BB nodded sharply, taking the paper from Blue and folding it up. “HM. WE’LL PUT HER IN THE FILE THEN, AS AN IN CASE BACK UP. RED, ARE YOU UP FOR ANOTHER MEETING?”

Red peeked at him over his snack with wide eyes, nodding as he stuffed into his mouth. “Mm-hmm!”

Stretch and Sans laced their arms with Red, making him laugh as they told him jokes. Doctor Hitashi was just around the corner from Doctor Janice.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Doctor Hitashi looked like one of those old people Stretch would see in the park, feeding the birds. He walked slowly into the room, shutting the door behind him and smiling as he took a seat slowly. “Well well! Yes, ah, expecting mother, I assume?”

Red blushed, giggling as he nodded, taking Doctor Hitashi’s hand as he had offered it. “That’s me! I’m Red!”

“Oh yes, yes. Eating well? Keeping hydrated?” 

Red giggled harder, bobbing his head as Sans chuckled. “Yeah we keep little mama fed.”

Hitashi laughed, letting go of Red’s hand to grab his folder. “Ah, little mama, I haven’t heard that one! Now ah, let’s see, let’s see.” He shakily put his glasses over his nose, nodding. “Mm, yes, yes. First baby?”

Red nodded, patting his belly. “Uh huh!”

“Ah, most exciting, yes, first ones are. I have three grandchildren, always exciting to see a new one!” He laughed. “Now, ah, questions, yes? You have questions?”

Red ducked down shyly as Stretch wiggled the paper. “Yuuup. Or uh, we got questions handed to us, haha. Er. Let’s see. ‘What would you do in case of emergency?’”

Hitashi nodded. “Oh yes, very important. I was once traveling doctor in my youth. If my patient needs me, I go.”

Red giggled, and Stretch continued the-to him-weird questions. Like when he was open, if he was able to come to Red when he delivered, and all that.

Once they were finished, Hitashi motioned at Red. “Mama, would you like to see a trick?”

Red perked up, nodding. “Yes! Please!”

Hitashi rolled over, indicating Red to lift his shirt. He slowly placed his hand on Red’s belly, Boss stirring up at the touch, and then Hitashi moved his hand in a slow circle. Boss slowly moved with him, turning near upside down, angled lightly. “You see, easy with him, can see him. But sometimes, stubborn babies want to come out behind first. Very bad, you see. So I know how to get them to move veeeery slowly into the correct position.”

Red squeaked, giggling. “It feels a little weird!”

Hitashi nodded, lifting his hand away. “Yes, baby moves, space gets smaller and smaller. I have maaany tricks to help with them, oh yes. Ginger candy?” 

Red took the candy Hitashi had slipped from his front pocket, looking at it in interest before popping it in his mouth. Sans chuckled. “Why ginger?”

“Helps calm the belly. Baby may not like it, but ah, ginger helps cure the nausea, for a time.” He got up, shaking Red’s hand again, then Sans and Stretch’s. “Nice to meet you all, yes, but now I have another patient to tend to. Be safe, don’t go running marathons!”

Red giggled harder, sucking on the candy as he held onto Sans’ arm as they headed out.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

“I liked him!”

BB nodded, Stretch and Sans having filled him in with the answers to his sheet. Red was chewing on the candy the doctor gave him, happily telling Blue about how Boss had turned all the way around. BB hummed. “SURPRISING. THEN AGAIN, OLDER HUMANS SURPRISE ME CONSTANTLY.” He gave Red the apple juice and Red downed it quickly, sighing happily.

BB patted his head. “LAST ONE, OKAY?”

Red nodded, shuffling up easily. “Okay!”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Doctor Yos was a stars damned fool of a bastard who didn’t deserve to be a doctor.

The meeting had started well. He was a sock puppet monster, a little floppy but BB didn’t care. Red was a little nervous but he liked how Yos’ ears flopped around.

When BB revealed that Red had meetings at the community center on Saturdays-they had been talking about Red’s trauma and how he was handling it-and Red piped up that the leaders were so nice and that he had a human friend in one group, Yos went on a tirade.

Not exactly a tirade, but still. He asked Red if he’d want Boss ‘poisoned against monster kind’ while hanging out with humans, how no one but another monster would know what they were going through and that it wasn’t fair to Boss that Red listened to humans.

Red sunk lower and lower in his seat, tearing up and shaking, and BB tore into Yos, demanding he leave the room.

Red was quieter when they made it back, snuggling up to Blue as BB sighed. “WELL THAT SUCKED. DOCTOR HITASHI IT IS THEN.”

Stretch raised an eye ridge as Sans slipped Red another candy. “What uh, happened?”

“SOMETHING THAT MEANS HE’S GETTING TURNED INTO THE MEDICAL BOARD IS WHAT. LET’S GO HOME.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Are humans bad?”

Fuku paused in her setting up of a prank on Kip. She and Red had filled up a bucket with shaving cream, and since he couldn’t climb up without them feeling nervous of him falling, she opted to do it. “Um. No? I guess? Why?”

Red shrugged. They had dragged a couch from an old defunct ‘teen leadership’ room and he got to have it all to himself. “I…mmm. I went to go see doctors for Boss!”

Fuku nodded as she concentrated on adjusting the bucket. “Uh huh.”

“And um, this one, I told him that in a group I’m in, I had a human friend!”

“Cool.”

“But he said it wasn’t fair to Boss??”

Fuku looked over, tilting her head. “Mm. Eh. He’s stupid. Like. Gerson sometimes says things like that, or well. He’s like ‘all these humans make my shell itch!’” she said in a gruff voice, making him giggle. “But like no one thinks that any more. It’s too much stress, besides, humans are neat.”

She hopped down from the chair, quickly taking her place next to him on the couch. “Now shhhh….”

Red giggled, hiding his grin behind his hand. 

They waited in the semi dark room until Kip, right on time, opened the door and the cream fell on his head. They burst into laughs until he flung some of it on Red who squealed, and he pointed at Fuku who scrambled over the couch. “Don’t touch me with that! Noooo! I’ll tell!”

Kip merely stalked after her, which is how Demeria found them, and ‘valiantly’ defended her girlfriend and Red by smacking Kip with a plastic ball she got from somewhere.

Red giggled harder, barely able to get his breath and tears in his eyes as Kip stalked after her instead, and she tried to ‘kung fu’ fight him, making exaggerated motions as Fuku had climbed up on an old teacher’s desk, laughing.

Maybe he should just put the whole thing out of his head. Fuku acted like it didn’t matter…so maybe…it didn’t! Yeah!

He squealed and tried to hide in the couch when Kip flung some at him, sputtering and laughing as MK walked in and slipped in the foam. “Whooooa!!! Foam fight!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Hitashi is based off my old doc as a kid.
> 
> When I visited, even if it was only a month later, he'd act so shocked and go 'You so big! last time, you were knee height!! What happen!! Oh, no, growing so fast' and he'd shake his head and it was just *amazing*
> 
> so here's to you Dr. Chin, wherever you are
> 
> anyway Red kinda...dwells on things, as you can see. But as a teen it's like 'meh, that happened' sometimes and Red's learning to do the same thing.
> 
> (also playing in foam is super fun. Just spray some foam in your bath. Splash around. Feel giddy for all of two seconds)


	41. Red's Weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raq has her baby. Red has a weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never been to a DV meeting but ah...I hope I did it justice!

June, Red is nineteen weeks pregnant

Red’s next two days of school were really good. The test he took wasn’t so bad, and Miss Luna congratulated him on the ones he knew. Mr. Pi took his binder-he wrote about himself, an animal he liked, and the last one was a description of the sky-and assured him he’d read over it during the weekend and grade it.

He hoped Mr. Pi liked it. It was fun to write!

Noelle still took him to lunch, and Berdly was still…weird. Lorelei kept trying to get him to join a club, and he gave in and agreed to check one out next Monday. She clapped, and then blew him a kiss, making him laugh and make kissy noises back. Berdly rolled his eyes at them, getting a sharp kick from Noelle in return.

His free period was _amazing_. They went from talking about Red’s baby, to playing a prank on Kip, to Demeria holding his arms as he tried to steady himself on her skateboard. They played a guessing game on the ELMO, the thing that showed pictures up on the white board. He didn’t know a lot of them, but everyone else yelled out wrong answers as well, so he didn’t feel too bad.

Because of the storm the outside was muddy, so they couldn’t go outside to the ‘playground’. But Fuku promised him it would be dry by Tuesday, so they’d go then.

BB had tested the new car seat in all the vehicles, pleased that it would fit. Red had found he could combine food items which led to…interesting combinations.

Weirdly, only Cinnamon could stomach any of the food cravings and would eat them with Red. The worst had to be the peanut butter chocolate ice cream with salsa.

BB was pretty sure his mind broke at trying to imagine the taste.

Red was happy to spill everything at his next mother’s meeting. Courtney nodded along, Alice and Jax were laughing softly at his stories. Por still held her egg while Androca bounced lightly on her ball, rocking slowly on it as she listened.

Raq was running late, but they had sent ahead that they had finally had their infant, and were happy to bring the little one along.

Por grabbed a snack for Red, he seemed to be endlessly starving, and Raq opened the door. “Sorry, everyone. Stratus didn’t want to get off of Spire this morning.” Red squeaked, perking up and waving. “Hiiii Raq!”

Raq had on a simple white shirt, the shoulders missing but covering her arms, with a pair of jeans as she shut the door. A little head formed on her shoulder, a tiny set of eyes peering around. They yawned, nuzzling up to Raq’s neck as she sat next to Red, no longer thunderous and round. Courtney smiled. “I take it everything went well?”

Raq nodded, appearing to smile as well. “Oh absolutely, the storm rolled in and Stratus seemed to just take that as their time to come.” She raised up her hand to the little head, cooing as she gently brought him into her palm and held him out. Red squeaked. “They’re tiny!”

“Yes, they have yet to properly form their little cloud body. Once it happens, they’ll not need to attach on as often.” The little baby’s head wavered lightly, letting out another yawn before seeming to fall asleep. Everyone ‘aww’ed over the little one, asking Raq a few questions and Raq allowing them to gently touch the small cloud formation.

Stratus didn’t seem to mind as much. They slept through the small touches, a little indention in their cloud form when Alice swept a thumb behind their head, which then filled back out with clouds. “Oh Raq, they’re precious. How’s Spire?”

Raq perked up. “Oh he’s absolutely smitten. You should have seen him, near dancing to go and grab Stratus from floating away. The first night was interesting to sleep with an addition, but we’ve gotten used to it now.”

Jax snorted. “Are they a Daddy’s baby then?”

“Absolutely. Spire looked near tears himself as they separated, but I promised him baby cuddles when he got home.” Raq laughed softly.

With that they were perfectly distracted, barely realizing that the time had passed before Papyrus had knocked politely on the door, apologizing for interrupting. Red wiggled his fingers at Stratus, who sleepily cooed softly on Raq’s shoulder, dozing off again as they packed up to leave.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“I have a date tonight,” Ruby said. Her blonde hair curled around her shoulders, one leg crossed over the other, always wearing a bright red dress that matched her name. Her foot tapped to a tune only she heard. “I’m finally, you know, branching out and shit.”

“Ruby,” came Mr. Tart’s soft voice. She scoffed, looking away from the circle of people-and one skeleton monster-in the gymnasium. 

“Right, no cussin’. …anyway he’s some kinda coworker of my cousin’s. I don’t know.”

Mr. Tart nodded, smiling softly at her, his hands laced between his knees as he leaned forward, always intently listening to them. “And how goes the detox program?”

“…” She picked at the ruffle on her dress for a moment. “Got a certificate. Three months clean. Guess it’s good.” She shrugged, but Red could see the little smile on her face.

There wasn’t as many jokes as there were during his mother’s group, but it wasn’t a joking type of place, either. Mr. Tart did encourage them to share any little speck of happiness that they had, encouraging them in going to things they didn’t want to do, like Ruby and her detox, and Charles finally getting the restraining order he so needed.

Mr. Tart smiled. “I’m very proud of you, Ruby.”

“Eh. Whatever.”

Mr. Tart smiled at Red. “What about you, Red? Anything new?”

“Mmmm. I picked a baby doctor! Um. Pedi-at-rish-an! Yeah. And I made friends at school!”

Mr. Tart nodded. “That so? What do you all do together?”

Red shifted, ducking his head and shrugging. “Nothin’,” he mumbled, not wanting to tell anyone what he and his group of friends did. It was like…the one little spot that he could keep to himself, just for a moment.

Mr. Tart chuckled. “My, that sure sounds fun then. Have you went to the sex therapist as you had been asked?”

Red shook his head, his face blushing bright. “I-I don’t wanna, it sounds scary.”

One of the others, Carolyn, who had a very big smudge on her face-something called a birthmark?-leaned over and gently cupped Red’s hand as she smiled. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, as she couldn’t talk very loud at all, “I went to one once, as a teen. They’re not as scary as you think. They don’t do what you think.”

Red shifted, shrugging again but Mr. Tart nodded. “Thank you, Carolyn. It’s true, a sexual therapist isn’t what the name implies. Rather, when someone is assaulted sexually, they help the person work through the feelings and trauma. It depends on the person what happens.”

Red nodded. “I guess. Oh! BB set all of us up for a childcare class next Sunday!” He squeaked, bouncing in his chair after Carolyn let his hand go, leaning back.

Mr. Tart laughed. “If it’s the one here, it’s quite fun, yes. I’m glad you’ve had a great week, Red. Lewis?”

And so they went around the rest of the circle. Sometimes the feeling of the group was really down, and some of them cried or teared up. Either way, Mr. Tart passed around bottles of water and tissues, ending the meeting for today. Ruby playfully nudged Red as she passed, grinning. “Wish me luck, little skeleton~”

“Good luck on your date!” He didn’t know what a date was, but Ruby seemed excited! She winked, pointing at him with a finger gun before she sashayed out of the room, humming.

And that was Red’s Saturday, every weekend. He didn’t mind it, he loved coming to his groups! They were his friends too! Papyrus picked him up at the end, letting him choose to do something or just go home. Red was always exhausted from the DV group, emotionally so at least, and he’d hug onto Papyrus’ arm as they headed out of the community center.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Red’s hand shook slightly as he reached for the light switch. Once he was in his room, usually, he was right off to sleep and one of the others would turn out his light, leaving him with his starry ceiling. But tonight…he wasn’t sure why…but he wanted to just. Stay up a little longer.

He was scared though, of what they’d say if they saw the light from under the door.

He shook his head. No way! His friends were so nice! They’d be okay!

…he flicked the light on, patting his belly lightly as Boss squirmed a little, unsure of why they weren’t asleep. “Shhh, it’s okay.” He looked around for a moment, thinking on what to do now that he was up.

He headed to the crib, adjusting the mattress cover lightly, cooing at the little bear inside it. He checked inside his closet, looking at his clothes, thinking of what to wear for tomorrow. Did he have anything planned? He didn’t think so, but he was sure BB would have something for him to do.

He looked at his journal for a moment on the small desk. He didn’t have anything to add-he’d already written everything down when he got home-so he ignored it. He went to his small bookcase, looking through and deciding to pull out a fiction book Blue had gotten him, trotting back to his bed.

Boss squirmed, patting up at him and Red cooed, patting back softly. “You want me to read to you? Hm? Okay~” He cleared his throat, leaning back against his favorite pillow. “Mr. And Mrs. Dursley-Dusley? Darsley?-of Number 4 …Private?? Drive…”

It didn’t take much longer for the both of them to doze off, the book laid over his leg as he snored away, the light still on.

(He only stayed up because Demeria talked about staying up all night and ‘partying’. It didn’t appeal to him, and it only made him and Boss more tired the next day. He’d rather go to bed at his usual time, all tucked up with his blankets, making constellations on his ceiling.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: I stayed up all night and there was no party :(
> 
> Demeria: You gotta make your own party!!
> 
> Red: Hmmm
> 
> (later)
> 
> BB: WHY IS RED IN HIS ROOM STANDING ON HIS BED YELLING 'PARTY'?
> 
> Cinnamon: I dunno, it's a new meme thing I think. 
> 
> BB: OH. HM. VERY WELL. DO GET HIM TO QUIET DOWN IN ABOUT AN HOUR, PLEASE.
> 
> Cinnamon: will do.
> 
> onto 20 weeks pregnancy, and I think July as well (hey time is super messed up). So here's the plan: There'll be something that occurs when they go to the playground, which will of course cause waves, and then fourth of July ...hmm. I'll have to check the things on the 'what to expect' website, do a few of those (like more doctor visits, etc.), then once we get into August, the Fell bros come into view \o/
> 
> If there's something you'd like to see in between the July and August events, just lemme know! I know there's been a request for Red to spend time with each skeleton, at least a day and a few things to happen (like how Sans took him out and the storm happened, etc.)
> 
> But woooo we're getting into it guuuysss ~~~~~


	42. Independence...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BB worries. Lax calms him down. Red's invited to some fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohboyohboyohboy my favorite chapter is coming up UwU

June, Red is twenty weeks pregnant

Red went to therapy, as usual. When he came out, he seemed happy, and BB let him go and play with the little car he seemed so enthralled with as he spoke with Lax. “I-”

“I know what you’re going to say.”

BB gave her a look. “YOU DO?”

Lax smiled. “He hasn’t told you what he does in the afternoons, has he?”

BB sighed, crossing his arms. “NO, HE HASN’T. USUALLY HE’S SO…OPEN ABOUT THINGS. I’M WORRIED THAT HE’S NOT HAVING FUN OR SOMETHING’S HAPPENED.”

Lax shook her head. “No, dear. He’s created a boundary.”

BB blinked. “WHAT…HOW IS THAT A BOUNDARY?”

Lax chuckled. “You said it yourself, he tells you all every single thing about his day, and no one is away from him for very long, are they?”

BB thought about it for a moment, then shook his head slowly. Hell, even when Red took a bath someone waited for him outside the door. At the same time, Red had requested it, but maybe…they shouldn’t have given in…??

“He’s also testing you.”

BB frowned up at her, tapping his foot lightly in agitation. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

Lax hummed, tilting her head. “You know those wrestling rings, where they press on the ropes and they stretch out a little?”

“…YES?”

“Normally a teenager sees a social boundary and says ‘I’m going to push and push and see how far it goes’. In Red’s case, it’s a little different.”

BB nodded to show he was listening, and she continued, “Red has taken a rope around his free time and said ‘I don’t want to reveal this’. He’s trying to see how hard you’ll push on him, and how far he can push on you.” She lightly tapped her nails on her clipboard as they talked. “He got away with saying ‘nothing’, so he’s keeping it. In time, he may push it a little to be a little mad when you ask him, or he may even blow up and argue about you intruding on his life.”

BB gaped, shaking his head. “I-HE…REALLY??”

“Oh all teens do at one point. I yelled at my father for going in my room to get laundry even though he’d done that for the entirety of my life.” She shrugged. “It’s a boundary test, as much for you as it is for him. Once he reaches something, for instance perhaps he gets a little upset at you asking, and you push back at him, he’ll think ‘okay, this is how far I can take this’.”

BB nodded, watching Red who gently ran the car over his belly, cooing at the baby happily across the room. “SO SHOULD I DO THAT…OR WOULD THAT MAKE THINGS WORSE?”

Lax tilted her head. “Right now, if you push, his boundary will break and he’ll believe nothing he does can be kept secret. Some people view this as honesty, but on the other hand, Red will always think someone is listening in on him, or that he has to tell every single thing he does. He’ll become paranoid, in a manner, or I believe he would.” She sighed. “Remember, BB, he’s still young, and according to both of you, his privacy was not something taken into consideration his entire life. Let him have his secrets. It’s not harming anything.”

BB sighed, nodding as he relaxed his arms, letting his hands on his hips. “VERY WELL. I JUST WORRY IS ALL. DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD PERHAPS, LEAVE HIM ALONE SOMETIME?”

Lax thought for a moment, slowly nodding. “Suggest it to him, first. Perhaps letting him come down for breakfast on his own, or going to bed on his own time-with a little pushing if he stays up too late,” she corrected as BB went to speak. “Hmm. Actually, I take back the first part. After breakfast, if he has nothing else going on, tell him he’s allowed to do what he likes for an hour with no one around. That’s enough time for him to feel like he’s okay but not too long that he’ll begin to panic.”

BB nodded again. “ALRIGHT. THAT’S A GOOD IDEA. THANK YOU.”

“Of course. That’s what I’m here for. See you both next week.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————  
After returning home, and ensuring Red had a snack, BB had shooed everyone out of the home or to various chores, informing Red he could do as he wished for the hour.

It felt really, really weird.

First Red just…sat on his glider, for a moment. He’d gotten so used to talking to someone else that talking aloud, to himself, seemed…eerie? Boring? Something.

He played with the remote, but nothing had caught his attention, so he left the TV alone. He slowly got up, rubbing his belly as Boss shifted. “What should we do, hm? Maybe a walk, how’s that?” Boss kicked softly, as if in agreement.

At first, he approached the door. Papyrus and Blue went for ‘jogs’ outside, but for some reason, Red didn’t…his hand shook a little, before he brought it back to himself. No, maybe another time.

He turned around, and started up a slow, easy walk around the house. He walked a circle in the living room, carefully up the stairs, tracing his way down the hall and into his room and around it. 

He stepped back down the steps, then around the kitchen, then back to his start. He could hear the washing machine start up-Stretch’s chore-but BB had said they’d leave him to do whatever he please.

He waited, almost breathlessly, to see if Stretch would appear on the couch with a jaunty wave and a pun.

But no. He didn’t.

Red felt…relief, oddly enough.

…and bored.

He shuffled to the back door. He hadn’t spent much if any time out in the garden Blue had shown him the very first time. That’d be a nice place to spend the rest of his hour!

He happily walked around the garden once, slowly lowering himself to sit near the little man-made pond one of the others had put in. A little frog sat on a lily pad, staring up at him. In the pond there were many lily pads and flowers, and funny fish! He grinned, leaning over slowly and touched the frog’s head. The little frog made a noise, and felt slimy, but didn’t move. Red squeaked. “I like you! Do you live here?”

The little frog shifted, then hopped a bit on the lily pad. Red giggled. “Boss would love you, I bet! I’ll show him all the animals and we can go swim, too!”

Red happily chatted to the little frog, squeaking when the frog hopped off the pad and onto another, then started hopping away. Red waved. “Goodbye, little frog!”

That was how Blue found him, happily twirling his fingers through the warm water, the fish following his fingers curiously, nearly nipping at him. Red squeaked. “Hi, Blue! Look! Fish!”

“YEAH! THEY’RE CALLED KOI. IT’S ALMOST TIME TO GO, READY TO COME IN?”

Red pouted. “Five more minutes?”

Blue laughed, nodding. “OKAY, FIVE MORE, THEN IT’S TIME FOR SCHOOL!” But Red had already went back to having the fish chase his fingers, whistling happily and almost cackling in joy.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

“…anyway, they always have an ‘end of year’ thing,” Fuku explained. Red was very disheartened to learn his school time was coming to an end for a while, he enjoyed seeing his friends and learning! The others promised to keep in touch, and he had to remember to ask to get a phone so they could ‘text’, whatever that was.

“Is it fun?”

Fuku nodded, she had splayed out on the couch with him, legs kicked up as she read through a magazine. “Ooh look at that, cute bear. Anyway, yeah, it’s like a circus kinda. They’re gonna have a bouncy house.”

“What’s that?”

Fuku tried to figure out how to explain it when MK skidded into the room-literally-and gasped, “GUUUYSS! Bouncy hooouuse!”

“Yeah, I heard, supposed to be big.”

MK bounced on his tail, laughing. “Nonono, remember??? Last year???”

Fuku’s fire flickered lightly, laughing as Red squeaked. “What happened last year?”

Fuku patted his arm as she sat up, putting the magazine between them so he could still look at it. “Oh, we all hopped on it from the roof. It was pretty fun, Kip near went flying! Wanna join us?”

Red hummed. “It’s bouncy….?”

MK quickly nodded. “Duuuude you won’t regret, besides, we’ll all be there! What could happen?”

Red smiled. “Yeah! It sounds fun! Why not?”

Fuku got his attention on the magazine, gushing over a small little ‘night light’ bear.

What could happen, indeed…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuku has one of those magazines you get in the mail that's mainly just junk but has cute baby stuff in it too. 
> 
> The reason BB is...uneasy is, he's very much a person who is 'in control'. He sets up Red's schedule, he makes sure Cinnamon gets to work on time, he ensures that if Blue and Papyrus volunteer for something they'll be there to support them, etc.
> 
> They all have various quirks. Stretch and Sans are 'lazy, while Stretch has to always be chewing on something (hey smoking was easy way back when but Blue hated it lol), Sans just cracks awful puns lmao.
> 
> Papyrus and Blue both cook, they wanna, you know, cheer up everyone.
> 
> Cinnamon hides his worries by blowing stuff up, like fireworks, or using his bike to speed, etc. He avoids things, basically.
> 
> Hm  
Dunno why this turned into a personality reading but anywho!
> 
> mm. no one will like tomorrow UwU


	43. The IncIdent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has fun getting trinkets and winning prizes :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll cotton candy  
fucking rocks

June, Red is twenty weeks pregnant

Cinnamon took Red to school early. Well, early for him at least. Red was vibrating in excitement, the others let him go with just Cinnamon today, which…was a little odd but he kind of…liked it! He could hang out with Cinnamon a little!

Red had to decide on the perfect outfit. It took him quite a while, but he managed to find a nice little shirt that looked like a wrap, and some stretchy jeans Blue had gotten him. Perfect!!

There were fun booths set up, a dunking booth, one you played cards at, and the bouncy house!!

Red squeaked, bouncing on his heels as Cinnamon got out of the car, chuckling. “I see you’re excited. Remind me we should take ya to the circus sometime.”

“Okay!!! Where to first?!”

Cinnamon led him to a little milk bottle booth. He threw the ball, and it tipped one milk bottle but not all of them. The monster running the booth gave him a small keychain with a soul on it. “You can try again, if you like?”

Red shook his head. “No, we gotta try everything first! C’mon, Cinnamon!”

Cinnamon let himself be dragged around. First the balloon pop, which surprisingly he popped five of them in a row. He got to have a giant patchwork bunny for his efforts. Miss Toriel was running a cotton candy booth, and she handed him one. “Not too much sugar, mind you, but a treat now and then doesn’t hurt, yes?”

Red nodded, already taking small bites of it. Cinnamon snickered. “No worries, Tori. BB will probably load him up with spinach in exchange for the sweet tooth.”

Toriel smiled, and pointed them towards a little booth where you threw ping pong balls into fishbowls. Red didn’t get any in, but he loved playing any way. Noelle’s dad was there-he introduced himself as that, and she was behind him painting faces-and his booth was a simple ring toss. He applauded Red for getting one on, grabbing a little packet of art supplies. “Here ya are, Noelle says you like to doodle a lot, and what could a doodler want more than doodling items!”

Red looked confused but happy to have the supplies while Noelle groaned about her dad being embarrassing. Red happily sat on the stool for her, letting her make flowers around his eye sockets. “It tickles!”

“It does? Neat! Oh oh! Want me to draw on Boss?”

Red gasped, “Oh could you!” He squeaked, squirming as he tugged up his shirt. Noelle drew a silly little smile over his belly and Red squealed. “Oh it’s so cute!!! Cinnamon!! Look!”

Cinnamon gave a thumbs up from where he was holding all the little items. “Nice, baby bones is all painted up now.”

Red giggled, hugging Noelle and hurrying away to let her continue on with the others. 

They had wrapped around the path until they saw the bouncy house. Cinnamon paused, nudging Red slightly. “Hey I’m gonna go put this stuff in the car, okay? Be back.”

Red nodded eagerly, rocking on his heels as Cinnamon walked away. He jumped when a hand touched his shoulder, looking up with a squeak. “Kip!”

Kip grunted. “Wanna jump?”

“Yeah!!!”

——————————————————————————————————

Kip had led him up the stairs inside the school. Red was getting more and more nervous, or excited? He wasn’t sure. Demeria was sat on the edge of the roof, Fuku was busy helping MK up so he didn’t trip. “Red! C’mon! We jump one at a time!”

Red happily hurried over with Kip, giggling. “How do we do it?”

Demeria pointed at the middle of the bouncy house that was right below them. A few monsters were inside, bouncing around. “Aim for there, it’ll bounce you out the front and you won’t get hurt.”

Red nodded as Demeria got up, cracking her knuckles. “Here we go!” She launched herself over the edge, bounding into the middle of it and it shot her out the entrance, making her cackle as she scared a few people who laughed. MK went next, except he smashed his face into the middle, rolling out of the entrance dizzily.

Red giggled. “Poor MK.”

Kip grunted, hefting himself up over the edge. “…be safe.” He hopped over, bouncing a little but not as much as Demeria, slipping out of the house.

Fuku squeezed Red’s shoulder with a smile. “Go after me, okay?”

Red nodded. 

She climbed up on the edge, then did a flip through the air, landing on her back and squirming out of the entrance.

Okay…it was his turn…

Red took in a few breaths, rubbing his side softly. “Alright Bossy…here we go…” He slipped himself up onto the thin edge of the roof. It was…higher than he thought. He shook with nerves but also excitement, it made him feel a bit sick. He rocked himself a bit, before throwing himself forward, aiming for the middle of the house.

His feet grazed the top of the house, causing him to ‘trip’ in the air, screaming as he toppled down and smashing into the corner of the house. It bounced him up and rolled him to the middle as he wasn’t as heavy as the others and he groaned, sliding his arm close with a sob. The roll had caught his arm in the mesh of the wall of the house, and it snapped it clean in half. He gasped and coughed through the tears as Fuku climbed back up into the house. “Red! Oh no, what happened!”

Red shook, trying to sit up as he cried, tears smeared on his face. “M-My aaarm…” he gasped, curling up a little and rocking in place.

Fuku hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder, trying to keep the other jumping monsters away. “C’mon, we need to go to the nurse then, okay?”

“Nooo…”

Fuku hesitated, jumping when she heard Cinnamon yelling. She nervously patted Red’s shoulder as she peeked out of the entrance. “Red’s in here! But he’s hurt…” 

Cinnamon appeared in an instant, the other teens were crowded around behind him nervously. “What happened?”

“Um…I think…he hurt his arm?”

Red whined, rocking a little more. “Cinnamoooon…” He sniffled.

Cinnamon sighed, reaching in to get an arm around Red. “Hey now, it’ll be okay, let’s get you all f-oh shit.”

Red had tugged his shirt up, one arm tightly wound around his belly. The little baby seemed okay, but the soul inside had dimmed considerably. Instead of the bright shining red ecto it was a deep dark sickly crimson, and it seemed to hurt Red as well based on how he kept curling in on himself, whining sharply.

Cinnamon lifted him quickly, tucking him into his arms. “We gotta go to the hospital.” Toriel had appeared, curious of what was going on, and gasped.

“Oh no! What happened?”

Cinnamon shook his head as Red hid his face into Cinnamon’s shoulder, shaking. “I dunno, uh, ask Fuku? I gotta go, Tori.”

She nodded. “Go on then, I’ll talk with them.” The teenagers nervously took a step back as she turned to them with a dark expression.

Cinnamon raced to his car, carefully laying Red in the backseat. Red held onto his arm, sniffling. “Boss is gonna be okay…?” he whimpered.

Cinnamon gave him a soft smile, leaning in and kissing his head. “Yeah, honey, he will. I bet. We need ta get you two seen about though, so just uh, rest up, I’ll call the group in when we get there, okay?”

Red nodded, and by the time Cinnamon had gotten in the front seat, Red had drifted off into a pained sleep. His legs were tucked up tightly against him, and Cinnamon sighed shakily. He didn’t see any spilt magic around Red, so it didn’t burst or get unattached. 

Stars, what were those kids thinking…he shook his head, speeding out onto the highway. No time for that now. They had to get Red and Boss back to full health. 

Then they could have a discussion with the others about how jumping off a roof is pretty fucking dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *claps hands* ayooooo
> 
> I'm not killing Boss lol. He's detrimental to sooo much. 
> 
> (Plus that's fucked up )
> 
> so, what happened? 
> 
> Have you ever been in a bouncy house? Those mesh screens can get your fingers caught. I've nearly snatched my fingers off. Red just got his all twisted up.
> 
> Boss? He's hurt, and when a soul goes 'dark' it can mean they're close to falling down. However, he's a baby still connected to Red. It's a little different. He's going into...a kind of healing coma...? Of sorts?
> 
> I'll explain more next chapter
> 
> :)


	44. A Conversation Is Had

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's chilling out in the hospital. Everyone has a bad time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooohhh ya'll don't even know how much I looooved making this one hahahahahaha

June, Red is twenty weeks pregnant

In Ebbot, there were exactly four main hospitals, with clinics scattered here and there. One was specifically for monsters, headed by, surprisingly, Alphys who loved science but her need to help others outweighed that love. Two were a mix, they accepted both human and monster patients, as it had been many years since they had arrived, so things had changed from when they first appeared.

There was one that was strictly a human hospital. They wouldn’t turn away a monster patient, that would be unethical and then they’d be investigated, just a lot of nonsense. However, no monsters worked there, and the ones that showed up there regaled stories of having to wait longer than usual and the doctors and nurses cold in their ways. Ironically, the humans who were told of this agreed, having experienced the same. “It’s not just you,” Miss Mary told her neighbor, Cattarina, a toddler on her hip. “When I took the hubby in when the horse kicked him, they asked why he let it happen. Can you believe it?”

Cattarina, a large purple cat monster, who had a small kitten in a sling on her chest, shook her head with a click of her teeth. “Horrible, absolutely horrible. Why are they like that?”

“It’s a doctor thing, I suppose, think they’re all better than us. At least some of ‘em.” They tutted together, their conversation leading into their children.

Again, the hospital didn’t want a load of reporters and media attention for negativity and critics, so they rushed Red in, although the nurse had her face all twisted up like she smelled something rotten.

Red was curled up sadly in the hospital bed, Cinnamon stretched out next to him after Red had whispered he wanted a hug. Cinnamon’s arm was wrapped around him, rubbing at that place between his shoulders that pinched up nowadays. Red had to wear a gown that opened at the front, which he didn’t mind, but the nurse kept giving Cinnamon dirty looks when he didn’t leave to let Red change into it. 

(Red hadn’t let go of his hand one moment since they arrived, and Cinnamon knew he was frightened, it wouldn’t have helped matters if he left the room.)

Red sighed softly, his face buried into Cinnamon’s shoulder. “…that was a bad idea.”

“Yup.”

Red sniffed, flexing his fingers a bit. His arm was easy to heal-Cinnamon did it, after all, just a break that any skeleton could fix-but now they were waiting to see how Boss was faring. The ecto was murky now, hiding the infant from view. Cinnamon had told them who his OBGYN was, and after some sighing and ‘we’ll give them a call soon’, the doctors had headed out to do…something. 

“ ‘M sorry.”

“I know.” Cinnamon chuckled, leaning to peck a kiss to Red’s head. “Just wanted to have fun, huh?”

“Mmhmm…my friends said it was fun.”

“I getcha, don’t worry.” Cinnamon sighed, leaning back on the bed. He’d already texted the others, but it would take some time to get up there. 

Red nuzzled up closer. “…do you think BB’s gonna yell at me?”

Cinnamon snorted. “Has he ever?”

“…no…”

Cinnamon nodded. “ ‘Zactly. Besides, right now we gotta make sure baby bones is all good. THEN we’ll discuss punishment.”

Red pouted a bit, but there was no heat behind it as he hugged up closer. “My sides hurt.”

“Sorry, think that’s part of it though. Try and relax a bit, kay? She’ll be here soon.”

Red sighed, trying to relax on the bed. There were beeps and weird smells and someone chattering outside. They had a small TV but it wasn’t working. Red just clutched onto Cinnamon’s jacket, dozing off after a bit until Doctor Anya appeared, flustered as she slid the door shut. “Oh dearie, we have to stop meeting like this,” she chuckled softly, dragging a stool over.

Cinnamon slowly sat them both up, frowning at her frazzled state. “You uh, okay there, doc?”

She waved a hand as she sat down, tugging the blanket down to Red’s waist. “They just like to give gruff around here. ‘Forward the records’ and ‘we can’t give that info away’. Which would be reasonable if it wasn’t the fact I just asked whose records they were wanting.” She shook her head, sighing before flexing her hands. “Alright, let’s get to seeing about this baby.”

Red squeaked at the touch of her hands. “Ow…”

“Bruised up, I see,” she mumbled, her fingers gently sliding down a bit. “Sorry, let’s see…” A glow enveloped the jelly hands, and Red relaxed happily at the warm feeling. Cinnamon rubbed his arm softly as she moved her hands around, then shifting back Red’s gown to check his back. “You didn’t see any fluids when he fell?”

“Nothing I could see.”

She nodded, smiling at Red. “I have to check below real fast, won’t even touch, okay?”

Red nervously nodded, hugging onto Cinnamon as she tugged up the blanket, then replaced it around his waist. “Good thing is, the water hasn’t broken then.”

Cinnamon frowned. “What’s the bad news?”

Anya sighed, sweeping a curl of jelly hair behind her ear before gently cupping Red’s belly to warm him up again. “It’s dark because the baby exerted his own form of magic. It’s only meant for emergencies, which…” She bobbed her head back and forth, indicating where they were. “It’s basically…a shell, of a sort, to keep the baby safe. Unfortunately it means he’s wasted a lot of magic, so we’ll have to load Red up with magic food.”

Cinnamon nodded. “I mean, even if he’s not hungry?”

Anya laughed, smiling at Red who gave a small smile back. “You ever waste an hour training outside, then come in and clean out your own fridge? That’s how it’s going to go down for a while. Not to mention cravings. For now, I give explicit permission to let him eat anything he wants, and definitely whatever cravings appear.”

Red giggled as she winked at him and Cinnamon snorted. “So you’re telling me to convince Papyrus to let him pour sugar on his spaghetti, got it.” He chuckled. “That’s all then?”

Anya nodded slowly. “Bruised up and aching for a while, but he’ll be fine.”

Red squeaked, “W-What about Bossy? Is he okay?” he sniffled, tears in his eyes.

Anya smiled, nodding as she spread her fingers over the ecto lightly. “He’s fine, maybe one bump or two but nothing to worry over. Definitely scared right now though. Once things settle down, the shell will dissipate and he’ll be back to normal.” She patted his hand gently. “However, there are things to watch out for.”

Cinnamon nodded. “What is it?”

“If it seems like it’s thinning out, you need to go back to the ER. If Red doesn’t want to eat longer than say five hours, or seems sluggish, same thing. Boss isn’t going to want to move around for a while, that’s normal, but if he isn’t moving by tomorrow evening, or he’s sluggish, call me.” She looked over at the clock near the TV, nodding before she looked back at the both of them. “Unfortunately baby’s gonna kick, and it’ll hurt. So I say take a warm bath, do whatever you can to ease the bruising.”

Red nodded quickly. “O-Okay!”

Anya grinned. “Delightful. You’re also now on two week bedrest. At one week we’ll check up and judge if two weeks is needed.” She patted his covered knee before standing up with a sigh. “Sorry, dears. Run run run, it’s all I do lately.” She headed to the door, giving them a small wave. “Call me for anything!”

They said ‘goodbye’ and out she went, heels clacking down the hall. Red whined, gently patting his belly. “ ‘M sorry, Bossy…”

Cinnamon sighed. “Alright, well. Doc’s orders. Eat us outta house and home, and relax all day.” He winked, making Red giggle before helping him lean back onto the bed again, standing up. “The others are here, so lemme catch ‘em up to things. You gonna be okay?”

Red nodded, even though he gripped the blanket tightly around him. “Mmhmm…I guess.”

Cinnamon patted his head gently. “We’ll be back in a minute, okay?” With that, and another nod from Red, Cinnamon headed out the door. Red sighed, cupping his hands over his belly softly. He could feel the baby move lightly, a tiny hand pressed against his for a moment and he giggled wetly.

“Love you too…”

And then the door opened.

———————————————————————————————————————————

Cinnamon found the group at the little ER waiting room, Blue jumping up when he saw him. “CINNAMON! WHAT HAPPENED?? IS HE OKAY?”

Cinnamon nodded as the others started talking and he held up his hands. “Whoa whoa whoa, hang on, just a minute.” He plopped in a seat next to BB, who was of course glaring at him for taking too long to talk. He winked at BB and blew him a kiss and BB scoffed.

“WELL??”

“Weeelll…the other teens and he went roof jumping on a bouncy house…thing. Didn’t end well.” 

Blue tilted his head. “A WHAT?”

Sans sucked in a breath, frowning. “Oof. So what’d the doc say?”

Cinnamon relayed the instructions Anya had given them. A few nurses passed by, one or two peeking at them before scurrying away. BB nodded easily, sighing. “HONESTLY, WHAT WAS HE EVEN THINKING?”

“You can’t exactly talk, bro, didn’t you climb a tree because someone dared you and then had Dad rescue you after you cried?”

BB smacked his shoulder with a scowl as the others laughed softly. “I WAS ALSO…AH. RIGHT. STILL, DO NOT BRING THAT UP AGAIN.” He huffed. “FINE, TEENS DO STUPID SHIT, I GET IT.”

Stretch snickered, chewing on his usual sucker. “So when’s he getting out?”

Cinnamon shrugged. “Dunno, no one here wants to uh…come by and talk, weirdly enough.” Just then someone did come by, a woman with a clipboard and a grey business suit. Her hair was in a no-nonsense bun, and her face could have been carved from stone with how unaffected she appeared. 

“You are the family of the skeleton in room 4A?”

Papyrus squeaked, hopping up. “OH, YES! CAN HE COME HOME NOW? I LIKE YOUR OUTFIT, VERY FLATTERING ON YOUR FIGURE!”

The woman blinked at that, a hand raising up to adjust her glasses. “…ah…th…thank you. I’m not in that department.”

BB scowled at her, arms crossed as his foot started to tap. “THEN WHAT NEED DO YOU HAVE WITH US?”

“I’m with the Child Protective Services, we need to have a talk. In private.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Red perked up, thinking it was his friends, but it was just a woman in an odd grey suit. She had funny braided hair-he kind of liked it, it looked really nice!-and a bandanna, but she was frowning as she held a clipboard. “Are you Red Skeleton?”

Red nodded, tucking his blanket up close. “Uh huh. Who’re you? I like your braids! I wish I had hair,” he mumbled as she came closer, standing at the end of the bed. She quirked a small smile that disappeared instantly.

“Thank you. My name is Cassidy Smith. I’m with Child Protective Services. Do you know what that is?”

“No, but I don’t know a lot of things,” Red shrugged.

She frowned, clicking a pen and marking down on her paper. “What do you mean by that?”

Red blinked, tilting his head. “I dunno a lot of things. Did you know there are places! With looots of food! That you can get!” He squeaked, wincing as he had straightened up and had to lean back in bed. “And school!! I like school. But we’re out right now. I didn’t get to go for very long.”

“…indeed.” She cleared her throat, shifting her stance on her feet. “I’m someone who, when something occurs with a person under 18, comes in and sees what’s happened and if something has to be done to protect them.”

Red nodded slowly as she talked. “We need to talk about you and your baby, okay?”

“I love my baby!”

“Mm.” She wrote something down on her clipboard. “Now, I’ve been informed you launched yourself off the roof of a building. Why did you do that?”

Red blushed, pouting. “…my friends said it was fun and we landed in the bounce house.”

“Do you always allow your friends to push you into dangerous settings?”

Red frowned, tucking the blanket up closer to him. “…n-no? I don’t…”

Cassidy nodded, writing something down again. “Does your family know about your tendencies to let people lead you astray?”

Red hugged his legs up as close as he could. “…I…don’t know what-”

“Let’s talk about the baby, then, since we’re getting nowhere.” She huffed, flipping a page on her clipboard. “How do you plan to support yourself and your infant?”

Red perked up. He knew this one! “We bought him a crib and a glider and little clothes!”

“I mean, how do you plan to get things for him to eat and wear as he gets older.”

Red frowned again. “…I’ll…ask?”

Cassidy nodded sharply, writing it down. “What about the other parent? Are they in the picture?”

Red quickly shook his head, burying his face in his blanket. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Cassidy sighed through her nose, a sharp noise in the otherwise quiet room. “All the notes say is that he was abusive and you got away from him. What is your plan when he finds you? How will you protect your child?”

Red whined, curling up further. “S-Stop…”

“Do you even think you can raise your child? You admitted you know ‘nothing’. Don’t you think it’s a horrible decision to bring him into all this?”

Red sniffled, breathing faster. “N-No, I…”

“Have you ever thought farther than him being a baby? Maybe you should think about letting someone else-”

“NO! SHUT UP!” Red shrieked, yanking down the blanket, his tear stained face glaring at her. “SHUT UP, LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Cassidy took a step back with wide eyes, then glared. “You have an anger issue, maybe you should-” A pillow smacked her in the face, falling to the ground as she sputtered. “You cannot just-!”

“GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!” Red grabbed whatever he could reach to throw at her, even a pitcher that they had filled with water for him on the small table. It arched over and she fled out of the room, banging into the door so hard it dented the pitcher before it fell to the floor, water spilled everywhere as Red sobbed into his hands, nearly wailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's not mad that she's asking him things for him to think about, he's upset bc she's basically shotgunning the questions at him before he can think and he had a meltdown basically. No one else does that, they let him answer, so this was a new and unwelcome change of pace.
> 
> Also she was going to ask if he thought of letting someone else raise the baby
> 
> While Red definitely has, he's talked it out with Lax and with Mr. Tart about his feelings and he's secure now (well, not any more, fucking Cassidy) that he can adequately take care of his baby
> 
> (Also the whole 'adoption' thing is suuuper hard for monsters, but the skelebros could, technically, take care of him without Red.)
> 
> Next chapter's kinda cute, but stressful UwU


	45. Red's Advocate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot Smith has a new client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't just leave ya'll with that cliffhanger, lmao.
> 
> Also I had this stewing in my mind so it HAD to happen.
> 
> Also when Elliot says 'I'm sorry?' it's in that manner one says when they mean 'what did you say/mean?' type of way.

June, Red is twenty weeks pregnant

Elliot Smith parked his little bright green VW bug on the side of the curb, reaching for the folder in the seat next to him. He had gotten a very distressed call from the hospital. Seems his replacement had broken several protocols by pressing the victim for answers and refusing to leave the room when asked. Elliot sighed, shaking his head. Just a bloody pink slip, but at least the verbal dressing down by old strict Mrs. Mahoney in front of the board of the hospital.

Elliot couldn’t help the grin on his face. He wished they had video taped it, at least.

Alright, no more thinking about that, he told himself, pulling himself out of his car. He had spiky short brown hair, square glasses, an open blue blazer and a loose red tie. He was often told he had an ‘easy’ energy about him. He had to, he was a child advocate after all.

He shut the door, then re-shut it-if he found who smacked into his door he was so…going to call the police-and sighed. He hadn’t had a monster client…ever. The only time they were called in was for Frisk as the world was worried that they had been kidnapped by the monsters. Weirdly, despite DNA testing and massive media coverage, not one blip on the map ever rose up. Frisk never explained it either, except to inform them that they lived with Toriel now.

(There was that one time a nurse had called them in when a green fire monster had showed up without a parent and with a weirdly…burned arm? Except when he showed up, it turned out that ‘no parents’ didn’t mean ‘no adults’. Her uncle was there, and despite his slow speech, Elliot was patient and learned that the girl sometimes worked at his restaurant for some pocket money and a customer bumped into her, spilling a liquid on her arm. It was cleared up quickly.)

Well. Elliot cleared his throat, tugging on his tie a bit before he started up the small walk. The house was nice, a cabin kind of look to it. He looked around, there was a tire swing on the tree-was there more than one kid here?-and a small flower bed on each side of the doorway. Someone had left rubber gloves with flowers printed on them under the bushes along with a trowel. He saw a garage attached to house, but it was closed up.

Alright. No more stalling. He cleared his throat again, then knocked on the door.

It took a bit before the door opened…and he had to look down as the skeleton in front of him was at least half his height…maybe a bit bigger? He had on a bright purple sweater and black leather jeans, and a weird jagged scar over his left eye with purple eye lights. He put one hand on his hip. “HELLO, HUMAN. MAY I HELP YOU?”

Elliot had to remind himself that it wasn’t an insult, the monsters called everyone ‘human’ at first, and if they didn’t know each other, they called them by species name. Still. “Ah, yes, hello. I’m from CPS along with the Child Advocacy group. My name is Elliot Smith, they…told you I was coming?” He stumbled getting his card out-the way the skeleton was gazing at him made him more nervous than anything he’d ever experienced-and the other plucked it from his fingers, spinning it in his gloved hands.

“HM. FROM THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR WORKER LAST TIME, I DON’T SEE WHY WE SHOULD EVEN ENTERTAIN YOU.”

Elliot sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit. Gee, thanks, Cassidy, you sure did make an impression. “I am so sorry for that, she’s not exactly my coworker. She was a replacement for a few days while I recovered from the flu.” He shook his head, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “Don’t worry, she was definitely wrote up for the…incident.”

The skeleton stared at him, still spinning it between his fingers. “I’M NOT SO SURE THAT WAS AN APOLOGY.”

“…I’m sorry?”

“OH, THEN THANK YOU.” He stuffed the card into his pocket. “MY NAME IS BB, HERE, COME IN. WE’LL GO TO THE KITCHEN, EVERYONE’S WATCHING PONYO.”

…Ponyo was pretty good. Elliot followed BB-who stopped short and snapped at him to take off his shoes in the home-to the kitchen. It was nice, actually. A long table pushed near the wall with several chairs, a dishwasher chugging away, a fridge with a freezer to the side…if Elliot had been a man who loved to cook, this would be heaven. Sadly that was never his passion, but he could still appreciate the obvious care that went into it. “Did they explain ah, what I’m here for?”

BB opened a cupboard, filling a cup with water before sitting at the island, slipping the cup to Elliot who sat down as well. “HERE YOU ARE. SOMETHING LIKE THAT.” His fingers started thrumming on the top of the island, albeit his expression never changed from the frown and the sharp eyes. “IT’S CONFUSING FOR US, YOU SEE.”

Elliot took a sip with a small ‘thank you’, putting his cup down. “How so?”

“MONSTERS ARE PACK CREATURES, IF I MAY SO CRUDELY PUT IT. IF THERE’S AN INCIDENT WHEREIN A MONSTER DOES SOMETHING ATROCIOUS TO ONE OF THEIR OWN-ESPECIALLY A CHILD-THE TOWN COMES TOGETHER TO TAKE CARE OF IT.” He shrugged fluidly, tilting his head. “THE ROYAL GUARD MOSTLY TOOK CARE OF THE BIGGER ISSUES, BUT IF I MAY BE HONEST, THE ONLY TIME I RECALL ANY MONSTER CHILD BEING HURT IS MK.”

Elliot looked alarmed. “What?! Is he okay? What happened?”

BB snorted. “MK HAS NO ARMS, HE FALLS DOWN AND ENDS UP BLACKENING HIS EYE SOMETIMES. HIS MOTHER PICKED HIM UP BY THE BACK OF HIS NECK-NEITHER PARENT HAVE ARMS EITHER, YOU SEE-AND MK TRIED TO SWING HIMSELF AS IF IT WERE A GAME. HE ENDED UP FALLING TO THE GROUND.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I THINK IT UPSET HIS MOTHER MORE THAN IT DID HIM.”

Elliot relaxed, laughing with him. “That’s adorable, yes. Well, you see, humans are…different. We value…independence, the ability to take care of oneself…well, it also differs in where you’re raised and the community,” he mumbled, taking another sip. “And, sadly, some humans can be…very cruel.”

“I KNOW.” BB just stared at him and Elliot cleared his throat, laying the folder in front of him.

“W-Well, you see, Red is…quite young to be having a child-”

“I KNOW THIS TOO.”

“…ah…well, this is a cause for alarm. He mentioned a chain…? The notes are a little scarce.”

BB scoffed, shaking his head. “THEY ARE, BECAUSE IT’S A LITTLE HARD TO EXPLAIN.”

Elliot sat up straighter, frowning as he laced his hands over the folder. “Then explain it. He was held hostage, practically, and no one’s trying to hunt whoever did it down to bring him to justice? Or at least to know Red can be protected from his occurring again?”

BB sighed, rubbing a hand over his head roughly. “IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN, BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH A LOT OF PHYSICS, AND I DON’T DWELL IN THAT FIELD.”

“…what?”

BB held up a finger, slipping off the stool almost elegantly before he padded to the doorway. “SANS, COME HERE AND HELP ME OUT.”

———————————————————————————

Elliot had literally never been so confused. But what it all boiled down to is that Gaster-the man that had Red locked up-would have to pull a miracle out his ass in order to make it to ‘this’ universe. He had a headache trying to think about it. Sans, another skeleton in a blue hoodie and basketball shorts, was leaning back on a stool with his feet on the island. Were those bunny slippers…?

“Yeah so, can’t get to what we can’t reach.”

“AND TRUST US, IF WE COULD, WE WOULD.” BB had a dangerous glint in his eyes and Elliot felt like he’d barely missed death itself as he shuddered.

“I’ll…I’ll keep this in mind.” He said weakly, scribbling a few quick notes before he cleared his throat again-darn flu left him still weird with his voice-and nodded. “Well. That’s. Good then. However, this still means that Red needs a comfortable and healthy place to heal.”

BB raised an eye ridge-how????-and Sans snorted. “Uh, what do you think our house is, bud?”

Elliot gave an apologetic smile. “I understand that you may view it as opening your home to a child in need, but unfortunately, there’s still things to take into account. His years of no education-”

“HE’S IN SCHOOL.” BB responded.

“-his years of staying in one place without being able to leave.”

BB and Sans traded a look as Sans sighed. “His uh, therapist is workin’ on that.”

Elliot perked up. “He has a therapist? That’s wonderful, that’s a great step forward in the healing process.”

BB nodded sharply. “OF COURSE. I AM NOTHING IF NOT THOROUGH.”

And oh, could Elliot believe that without needing any evidence. He smiled again. “Unfortunately, it’s not about what any of us want. It’s about what Red needs. I’m an advocate, so whatever he’ll need me for, I’ll stand in his stead and make sure it happens.”

BB tapped the counter again. “IS THERE A REASON IT CANNOT BE ONE OF US?”

“You’re too close. You can’t tell me there’s things you feel uncomfortable telling…uh…Sans about.”

Sans and BB traded another look, which held for a moment before they looked back at him and nodded. “YOU HAVE A POINT. VERY WELL. WE SHOULD INTRODUCE YOU THEN.”

…that might be the easiest meeting he’s had in a while. Pardoning the whole ‘there’s a universe where you’re a marshmallow’ idea…he tried very, very hard not to think about it as he followed BB and Sans around the doorway of the kitchen and through to the living room.

It was pretty cozy, domestic even. The walls were wooden with a semi large bookshelf leaning against it on the opposing side. There was a slightly large TV finishing up the movie BB had mentioned. There was an armchair to which Sans immediately hopped onto the lap of the one with the orange hoodie sitting there, who snored away. The couch had two other skeletons-they had armor on??-and another empty armchair with another skeleton sitting cross legged near it, swaying slightly in place.

And the star of the morning, or so he could assume, was in a cute little glider with his legs on the leg rest, scribbling at a puzzle book intently.

“RED.”

The skeleton perked up, peeking over his book. He had a blue soft dress on, and what appeared to either be tights or really short shorts…and fuzzy socks. Made Elliot near jealous, fuzzy socks were super comfy. “Hi hi, BB! Who’s that?” He squeaked out.

BB motioned at Elliot. “HE’S HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU, OKAY?”

“Mm, okay!”

BB took the armchair, nudging the one on the ground near him lightly and he nudged back with a grin. Elliot smiled, taking a step close to the little glider before bending down to kneel next to him. He wasn’t that short, perhaps a little bit shorter than BB, but with him laying back like that he was closer to the ground than Elliot was. “Hello, Red. I’m Elliot Smith. It’s nice to meet you.”

Red smiled happily, a gold tooth glinted at him as he closed up his book, putting it to the side. “Nice to meet you! I watched a movie.”

Elliot chuckled, nodding. “I saw. Red, I’m with CPS as well as a Child Advocacy group. Can I talk to you a while?”

Red just looked confused, his eyes darting to BB then back at Elliot. “…I dunno.”

Elliot nodded. “That’s okay. Would you like me to come back another day? You look pretty comfy here, don’t want to mess up a prime napping spot.”

Red cracked a grin again, giggling before he shook his head. “We can talk! Um. Hang on.” He squirmed, pushing something on the side of the glider that had it sit him up, and Elliot nodded.

“Wonderful. Could we go to your room? I’d like to see it.”

Red squirmed a bit, frowning. “I’m on bed rest, so we gotta go slow!”

“I’ll go as slow as you need me to.”

Red looked at BB again, then nodded at Elliot. He paused for a moment before the taller skeleton on the couch held out his arm, helping Red out of the glider. “WE MAY HAVE TO ADD A PILLOW SO YOU CAN ROLL UP OUT OF IT EASIER!”

“Yeah!” Red agreed hugging the skeleton’s arm before hesitantly taking Elliot’s hand, surprising him for a moment.

In 8th grade, they had a skeleton hanging up in the corner, and he had touched the hand once to see what fingers felt like.

Oddly, Red’s hand was much warmer and not at all as bony as that one had been.

He let Red take him to the stairs, and slowly they climbed up. 

Red happily chattered on about the movie he saw, and Elliot gestured at the hallway they were in. “There’s a lot of doors here. Are they all bedrooms?”

“I dunno, but I know where their bedrooms are! But we can’t go in.” He nodded.

Elliot chuckled. “That’s fair. What about this one?” he motioned at a dark brown door. All the others were decorated oddly, even one with multiple stickers of cherries and the moon, but this one wasn’t.

Red stared at him. “Bathroom.” He opened it up and, well, yup, it was a bathroom…the toothbrushes were, weirdly, much larger though. 

He motioned at the toilet. “I thought monsters didn’t…need that?”

“Papyrus says if Frisk or a human visits, it’s nice to offer,” Red chirped. “…also I throw up in it.”

Elliot was alarmed for a moment before remembering. Right. Pregnant. Throwing up was…normal. “Ah. Baby a little fussy then?”

Red giggled, his hand gently patting his own belly. “Sometimes! C’mon!”

He led to Elliot to the cherry and moon decorated door, opening it quickly. Before it got out of his eyesight, he checked the knob. No lock on the outside, but a simple push one on the inside. Good, that was a good sight so far. He looked around idly as Red slowly made his way to the bed so he could lay down as they talked. It was…nice.

There was a wardrobe with one drawer tugged out a little with a shirt peeking out. There was a doorway to a closet, and a little desk with a journal, three ring binder, and two text books on it with various pencils. There was a small vanity table, but instead of make up it was a large camera and a Baby’s First Scrapbook on it. That was cute. There was a crib set up near Red’s bed with a mattress cover of little cars, a small chest under it-possibly with the baby clothes?-and a little baby bathtub was stashed under as well.

It was also more well-kept and clean than Elliot’s niece’s room. The amount of clothes scattered and wood shavings from her recent endeavor to carve…so many. He didn’t even know she had that many clothes!

Red’s bed looked cared for as well. He had an odd pillow with arms, but it seemed to cradle his back to let him lay down without sinking into the pillows. Smart move. Other than that it was just a normal bed with a large red comforter that Red tucked over his belly with a smile.

Elliot smiled back, taking the chair from the desk to sit near Red’s bed. “So-”

“Are you here because I jumped off the roof?”

Elliot startled, then let out a nervous laugh. “Not exactly. Although, that was pretty scary, huh?”

Red shrugged, plucking at his blanket. “…a little. Boss got scared.”

“Oh, poor baby.” He shifted, tapping the folder against his hand lightly. “You see, Red, when something very bad happens, it takes a lot to help out the person it happened to. Unfortunately, this also means a legal side of things.”

Red just looked confused. “…like..the royal guard? BB used to be in it!” He squeaked excitedly.

Elliot shook his head. “Not exactly. A lot of people will ask a lot of questions, and they’ll have to judge your situation, and decide pretty much where you’ll live or if you’ll need help.”

Red frowned. “I…live here though.”

Elliot sighed. “I know, I know. The thing is, the people will have to look at your situation here as well, and see if it would be more beneficial for you to be elsewhere.” He held up his hands quickly as Red opened his mouth. “Not me! Not me. Others. What I do is I’ll represent you.”

Red just looked more and more confused. “I dunno what that means.”

Elliot hummed, tapping his finger against the folder. “You know how, sometimes, you want to say something, but you’re scared to do so? Because you might…hurt someone’s feelings?” Red nodded slowly after a moment. “And you wish someone else could do it instead?” Red nodded again, staring at him. “Well, that’s me. This is only an example, but if you decided not to live here any longer, and during the investigation they ask you, but you don’t want to hurt your friends’ feelings, you tell me and I’ll bring it up for you instead.”

Red nodded. “I wanna live here! Um. Forever!”

Elliot chuckled. “We’ll talk about it a little later. Right now, how about you tell me how your day generally goes? I’d like to know more about you.”

Red squeaked, happily perking up. “Okay! Well…I wake up and…” 

——————————————————————————————————

Red led them down the stairs slowly. He had shown Elliot his own clothes-they were clean and not at all inappropriate in nature, the ones Elliot could see at least-and his special toothbrush. Elliot was a tad confused, but it turned out that skeletons had to scrub their skulls like how humans did their teeth.

Seeing Red’s eye lights go out and him jamming the brush in his socket was a terrifying thing to witness, by the way. But Red happily told him that it was to keep everything clean and free of any things they couldn’t see, such as rocks in the little joints of the neck, and the bone had to absorb more calcium than normal since the sun would shine on them and it did something to their skulls.

Red couldn’t answer him what it was though, just that that was what Blue and Papyrus told him. He made a notation to ask them, while they appeared kindly, he still had to be suspicious of everything.

Red proudly showed off the kitchen. “I eat breakfast every morning!”

“That’s good!” Elliot smiled at him, and Red giggled before pausing and turning to the fridge. He opened it to dig around in it, giving Elliot an opportunity to examine things. They had a very good stock of food, but with so many in the household, that was only reasonable. There was a small box with something brown inside, and he leaned a bit closer to see what it was as Red pulled open the freeze, giggling as he pulled out a popsicle.

On the box it read ‘FOR RED, WHEN HE CAN STOMACH BROWNIES AGAIN’ and underneath several little hearts and skeleton heads were drawn.

Aww.

He leaned away as Red turned with a bright blue popsicle, holding a small container of salsa, in which he immediately dipped the popsicle in as he ate. Elliot tried very hard not to gag. “Ah…c-cravings, huh?” Red mumbled in agreement, but BB’s voice made Elliot jump.

“NORMALLY WE TRY AND TALK HIM OUT OF THE MORE…DISTURBING CONCOCTIONS,” BB grimaced, grabbing a cup from the side and filling it up with coffee as Red happily waved. “EVEN IF YOU WANT IT, YOU WON’T HAVE AN IRON STOMACH, SEE?”

Elliot nodded, settling down as he let Red have his treat. “I see, yes, it can be annoying to want something and end up tossing it back up.”

BB grunted. “HOWEVER, HE AND BOSS ARE HAVING TO REPLACE THE MAGIC HE’S USED UP, SO ANY LITTLE BIT HELPS HIM RIGHT NOW.”

Elliot nodded slowly. “Ah, I see. Red, are you ready to keep going?”

Red happily nodded, licking the small cup of salsa to get the last bit before tossing the plastic container and his stick in the trash, holding Elliot’s hand again. “Bye, BB!” BB waved, chuckling as Red took Elliot into the living room. “If I don’t go to therapy, then I have an hour to myself!”

Elliot frowned, only an hour? “Oh? That so?” he asked, keeping a pep to it as Red nodded.

“I don’t like being alone but um, Lax says I need to do things on my own for a little bit, so I can um…” He shifted in place then sunk onto one of the armchairs, rubbing his cheek. “Um…oh, so I can relax! I think. I go outside though!” He smiled.

Elliot chuckled. “I see. Are you often not left alone?”

Red shook his head. “I don’t like being alone, but um, too many? Is bad.” He nodded quickly. “I got dizzy! Sorry.”

Elliot sat on the couch near Red, smiling. “It’s alright. Are you allowed out right now, since you’re on bed rest?”

Red nodded. “Only if Blue takes me outside and I sit on the patio chair though. But that’s okay, I like to touch the grass!” He giggled. “And then…lunch! And then…if I have homework, I do that, or write in my journal, or take a bath!”

Elliot nodded along, smiling along with him. “Sounds like a very busy day. So that’s only when you don’t have therapy?”

“Or my groups.”

“Groups?” Elliot asked curiously.

Red shifted to lean back in the chair, humming. “On Saturdays, I go to the community center! I go to the Mama’s group and we talk about our babies!”

“Aww, that sounds very fun, Red. What’s the other one?”

Red picked at the bow on his dress for a second. “It’s. Um. Mm. It’s a domestic violence group. Mr. Tart is reaally nice! I like him.”

Elliot smiled sadly. “I understand, Red. That’s wonderful you’ve found such great groups. I’m sorry for interrupting your day, okay? Would you like me to help you back into your um…glider?”

Red shook his head, slowly dragging himself out of the armchair with a wince. “Noooo, I need a warm bath so I can feel better. But thank you!” He happily hugged Elliot’s arm and Elliot rubbed a hand over his head.

“You’re quite welcome, Red. Should I get one of them…?”

“Blue!”

————————————————————————————————————————

Elliot gathered that somehow they had all went in the kitchen without them seeing. Magic was a thing, right? Yeah. He told them Red had asked Blue to help him into the bath, and the shorter armored one hopped up with a salute, heading out the doorway as Elliot spread out the folder on the island. It wasn’t many pages, if anything, since there was no reports on Red.

“Well. He seems happy enough to me.”

The taller one BB had nudged earlier had his head cushioned on his arms, but gave a thumbs up all the same. “Mmhmm. There’s a ‘but’ in there, ain’t it?”

Elliot winced, sighing as he sat on the stool. “Well, yes. None of you are…technically…related to Red. Even if you’re the same…ah…species, the laws still haven’t caught up to that.”

BB glared at him for a moment. “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?”

“The biggest obstacle I see happening is them trying to find a guardian for Red.”

The taller armored one tilted his head, holding a glass that had a milkshake in it? “BUT, ISN’T THAT US? WE WATCH HIM AND HELP HIM!”

Elliot nodded. “Yes, and while you’re able to sign off on medical and psychological forms for…*ahem*…monster individuals, the humans won’t accept that. They’ll either request a guardianship form or they’ll ask if you’re his parents. Or, at least one of you.”

Sans shrugged. “Kay. ‘S that all?”

Elliot winced. “It’s a bit more than that. Should Red say, get in an accident and he’s in the hospital, they wouldn’t even let you inside to see him without your name on the form. I know-” he held up his hand as the taller one started to speak. “I know, but they assumed you already had guardianship over him at that moment. You didn’t. The other problem is the baby.”

BB shot him a look. “WHAT ABOUT BOSS?”

“Same situation, but a little worse. What if Red suddenly becomes unable to care for him? Or…worst case, what if he dies?”

The silence was deafening for a moment, and Elliot cleared his throat, shifting on his stool. “In those cases…I don’t know how it is for Monsters, but for humans, if he has no one over him, the baby is put into the system and adopted out. If something happens and Boss is in the hospital, but Red can’t go, it’s the same thing. They won’t let you in.”

The tall one sighed. “So either always have some good luck and end up with a monster facility…or…what?”

Elliot grinned, shuffling a stack of papers together. “Guardianship! Parental Guardianship, to be specific. For Boss, you won’t really have to do one until he’s born. The birth certificate and all. Instead of ah, ‘father’, there’s a certain way to put guardian instead, I’ll show you when the time comes.” He passed the sheet around, BB scanning it with a sharp gaze as he sipped his drink.

“HM. FINE. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO?”

“There will be a court date, a hearing, basically just to come to an agreement.” He coughed, pushing his glasses up a bit. “Unfortunately, with the ongoing CPS investigation, it won’t happen yet. However, as I am his advocate, I can also stand in for him there as well.”

The other tall one nodded. “OKAY! …SO DOES THAT MAKE US ALL HIS PARENTS?” he looked thoughtful as Sans patted his arm. 

“Heh, yeah, kinda, it sounds like. Sooo, what do need ta do for the investigation?” he looked at Elliot, who sighed.

“Hopefully not too much, but as I’m playing double agent technically, it’ll speed things along. For now, I would suggest just following along. If someone comes to say they’re taking Red somewhere, call me immediately and don’t let them, the hearing has to happen first.”

BB scoffed. “YOU ACT AS IF WE’D JUST WILLINGLY HAND HIM OVER.” He finished off his cup, nodding sharply. “VERY WELL. ARE YOU STAYING FOR LUNCH?”

———————————————————————————————————

Red had happily hugged Elliot when he went to leave, squeaking. “You wanna see Bossy before you go???”

Elliot chuckled, nodding slightly. “Sure, Red, I’d love to see the baby.”

Red searched in a small pocket at the end of his dress, taking out a small little polaroid photo. It appeared to be from last week or so, before everything happened. In the red bump laid a curled up baby skeleton, sharp teeth clenched, little arms stretching up above him.

Elliot smiled, handing back the photo. “He’s marvelous, Red. Looks just like you.”

He didn’t miss the relieved expression on Red’s face, and hugged him back after promising he could call Elliot any time.

He got in his car, taking a breath as he started it up. He had a feeling this would not be closed out as fast as he thought, for whatever reason. He just had that feeling in his gut.

He hoped he was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope ya'll are proud of yourselves. Do you know how cute it's gonna be when Papyrus starts calling Red 'son'? Like
> 
> INFINITE CUTENESS
> 
> it's gotta happen now
> 
> anyway
> 
> they won't be grandparents tho lol, Boss is still gonna call them Daddy (name) bc it's too cute for me not to do
> 
> Anywho~ we're coming up on magic chapter 50! I'll see where we get by then and well, if it's not at a 'crazy' time in the story, maybe we'll have just a side chapter! Whatever ya'll wanna see!
> 
> Wait until Chapter 49, and we'll figure it out :P


	46. Elliot's Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot's back and he's helping out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll there ain't a lot of notes out there about what they *specifically* do so you know what artistic creativity, boom, sucka

June, Red is twenty weeks pregnant

Elliot visited more often than they had figured that week. At first, Elliot thought he would find something surprising or disturbing when he came over unexpectedly, but there truly was nothing going on. Once he came to find the tall one-Stretch, right-digging in the little garden spot he had seen the first time. Another time Blue and Papyrus were swinging wildly on the tire swing, screaming happily as they got very high. At first, he worried that Red would feel left out, but Red assured him he was a little too scared to get on the swing (it was rubbery and he didn’t like the smell of it, which made Elliot hide a laugh), but that just meant he got to have the hammock aaallll by himself!

Well, not right now. Later.

The first thing Elliot sat them all down for was “Communication. Red needs a way to contact you all, and his friends, and they’ll believe you’re isolating him if you don’t.”

Red was in the middle of eating a salad with spaghetti sauce on it-oh stars the cravings-and Papyrus answered. “YOU MEAN…LIKE A CELLULAR DEVICE!”

“Yes, exactly. I’m a little surprised he doesn’t have one, honestly.”

BB snorted. “HE REFUSES TO HAVE ONE.”

Elliot turned to Red who was sitting next to him, chewing on a piece of onion. “Red? Is that true?”

Red blinked. “Wha?”

“A cell phone. You don’t want one?”

Red looked at him blankly until Blue pulled his out, wiggling the smartphone in his hand. “THIS!”

“Oh. No. Too confusing. Loud.” He went back to his meal.

Elliot sighed. “That’s…fair. He needs a flip phone, then, some way of being able to call someone in case of emergency.”

Sans nodded, although Elliot had assumed he fell asleep the way his head was balanced on his hand. “That’ll be easier anyway. I’ll get Alph to make him one.”

Elliot had no idea who Alph was, but he agreed all the same. “The ah, next things are to make sure the therapy he’s going to is working, the groups he is with aren’t a negative influence, his medical records…”

BB grunted. “HE’S STILL ON BEDREST, HOWEVER I CAN CALL DOCTOR ANYA AND DOCTOR CUMUL TO GET THOSE NOTES. AS FOR HIS GROUPS, THEY AREN’T UNTIL SATURDAY. THERAPY IS MONDAY-”

“And the class on Sunday!” Red piped up, looking excited. BB looked a little guilty though while Elliot appeared amused.

“What’s that?”

“THAT’S A CHILDCARE COURSE SINCE NONE OF US HAVE DEALT WITH INFANTS…” he muttered and Red squeaked, swinging his legs on the stool. 

“They have fake babies and you learn how to bathe them and clothe them and cuddle them!”

Elliot smiled. “That sounds amazingly fun, Red. Would it be alright if I accompanied you to your groups on Saturday?”

“Yeah!” He squeaked, then squirmed to slide off the stool slowly. Blue hopped down to help Red back to his glider in the living room, he could only sit up straight for so long until he started to ache.

Elliot looked over at BB. “What’s wrong?”

“HE’S ON BEDREST, I WASN’T SURE IF ANOTHER CLASS WOULD BE TOO STRESSFUL,” BB sighed, shaking his head. “I DON’T WANT TO UPSET HIM, HOWEVER. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO ASK FOR A SOFT CHAIR, PERHAPS.”

It was rather sweet to see them all worry over Red and think about him whenever they did things. It wasn’t often he saw things like that in his career, but when it happened, it was like a breath of fresh air, something that gave him hope and energy to keep striving and not let the world punch him down. 

With that, and the promise to get Red a cell phone, Elliot was off after wishing Red a good day. Red happily showed him another picture of Boss before he went, grinning widely. That little baby was so freaking adorable, honestly.

When he came over the next day, around breakfast to shake things up, Red was already in his glider, a half eaten plate of food on his foot stool, and Red pecking at keys on his flip phone with a confused expression. Elliot chuckled as he sat on the couch. “Do you need any help?”

“…noooo…” Red mumbled, but he seemed even more confused as he tapped at the buttons. “…what do I do?”

Elliot smiled. “Didn’t the others show you?”

“Alphys tried to, but I still don’t get it.”

Elliot nodded, gently taking the phone and showing Red a few things. When Stretch came into the living room, Red begged him to let him call him, nearly vibrating in excitement when he was able to and chattering into the phone in amazement.

Stretch added everyone’s phone numbers to it for Red, handing it over. “And you can ask your friends for their numbers, too. To like, text and stuff.”

Ah, that was a great idea! Elliot nodded at Red who giggled happily, squirming to take his plate back and dig in as Stretch handed Elliot a cup of coffee before sitting in his chair. With that, Elliot and Red had a fun day together with Red showing off that his bruising was healing and that he had found a sequel to a series he was reading. (Elliot refused to tell Red that the entire series of Harry Potter was already out in the world, it would crush the little skeleton for not knowing. He had a very odd reaction to not knowing things.)

Elliot received many funny texts from Red after he left, button mashes and emojis of all sorts. Elliot shook his head with a chuckle. Red was having the time of his life with that thing.

————————————————————————————————————————

When Red sees his other self again, there’s nothing to really see. Something’s covering his eyes. Red hesitates before he speaks, “…S-Sans? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, kid,” came the gruff voice. “I’ll uh. Take ya up on yer offer though.” A pause, and a slow breath, like he was trying not to cough. “How long ya think they c’n find us?”

Red perked up. “O-Oh! Um. Well! If the machine is um, on and stuff?? They’d find you instantly! I think.”

“…the machine, huh.” The other muttered. “Mmkay. It’ll be a bit. You tell ‘em ta keep an eye socket out, got it?”

“Yuh huh!”

“…hey kid. Tell me about the bossy runt again,” the other mumbled, and even though Red could feel a splitting headache coming on, he started chatting on about his baby, until he jolted away from his dream in a cold sweat.

—————————————————————————————————————————

The only group Elliot had went to was a gaming group that consisted of screaming at a television and calling each other names. This one with all the…chatty…happy moms was uh…well it was something. As a child advocate he didn’t go to things like this. But he tried to enjoy it so as not to make Red feel nervous. One monster was a cloud with a little puff that had a face on it. It moved around sometimes, but seemed content on their shoulder. Another monster held a small egg, a mermaid(?!?!?!) was wrapped around one of those exercise balls, and there was only one human woman. The leader, Courtney, happily formed everyone that Jax was having her child so she wouldn’t be by for a while most likely.

And oh the gossip. Oh the gossip.

Elliot’s head spun nearly as they chattered on about someone’s neighbor doing this and the school down the road, and then more importantly how their babies were doing which, okay, that was pretty interesting to hear about. They broke for a snack and Courtney invited him to have one as well. He brought a few crackers and a bottle over for Red, who eagerly tore into them, vibrating with energy. 

That group had gone so very well. When Papyrus came to get them (Courtney had gently explained Elliot was here for Red, and to not let it stop their group activities), Elliot followed them towards the next group that he…well…he felt extremely nervous about. This was a more secretive type of group, and he didn’t want to overstep of course, and make anyone uncomfortable.

Red introduced him to Mr. Tart after Papyrus had set Red in his usual chair. Mr. Tart looked like that one dad in Rugrats, if Elliot was honest. Mr. Tart shook his hand with a gentle smile. “I’m very glad to see you. Please, this is a serious group however, so what you hear-and say-remains within the group and it is looked down upon to discuss it outside.”

Elliot blinked. “U-Uh, oh, yessir, I understand! I…take it you mean about the, um, others?”

Mr. Tart nodded with a smile, patted his hand, then took a seat at the other end as they waited on the others. Elliot took a simple chair next to Red who had a chair that leaned back for his back, his legs swinging gently.

The first to appear was a very beautiful woman in a sparkly red dress. She seemed…very, very happy, nearly skipping to her own seat and spinning in it. She winked at Red, then frowned at Elliot. “The hell are you?”

“Ruby,” came Mr. Tart’s voice.

Ruby sighed, rolling her eyes. “Fiiiine. Nice to meet you, whatever your name is.” She scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away. Elliot felt like she had cut him off at the base, but that was okay. He wasn’t here to interfere, after all.

Several others came through the doors. One man who slouched over, looking drawn and tired. A boy, although he might be in his early twenties, who instantly sat far away from the women. A woman with a…well Elliot didn’t want to stare. That was rude. He did hear her rasp out a good afternoon to Mr. Tart, settling in her own seat near Red with a smile. “Hello, Red. Is this a friend?” she whispered.

Red nodded, giggling. “Elliot! He’s my adv-o-cate!”

“Nice to meet you, Elliot,” she slowly wheezed in a breath, then smiled at him. “I am Carolyn. Forgive me if I cannot speak long.”

Elliot nodded. “Of course, just act like I’m not even here, I’m just here to ensure Red’s in a good group to help his healing.”

She smiled at him, but the large white mark on her dark skin didn’t wrinkle, her lip stuttering to a stop at the edge of it, and she turned to watch Mr. Tart.

God, Elliot was out of his depth here. This was so much more than he ever thought he’d see.

One man broke down in tears over the finality of his relationship-although from what was said, this wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get away from his…ex-but Ruby seemed ecstatic to inform them that her date went fabulous. Mr. Tart nodded at her, smiling her way. “I am very pleased you have found someone, Ruby.”

“He was nice, we went to his house…” She paused, a finger curling around and around a blonde hair, staring at Mr. Tart. “…and then…we um, watched a movie. He’s kinda weird, ya dig?” She crossed her legs, bouncing one lightly. 

“Was he weird because of the movie, or because you assumed the night would end another way?”

“Dunno. He ah, he’s invited me to go swimmin’ next week. He uh,” she started chuckling, grinning wider, “He watched that one movie about the dogs and started to cry about how it was so sad. He’s pretty swell, I guess. A little boring.”

Mr. Tart hummed. “Remember, Ruby, if someone enjoys something, it’s not boring to them.”

Ruby shrugged, and that seemed to be the end of that.

They made their way around to Red who sadly told them of his ‘ill advised’ adventure, and Elliot was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Tart gently eased the conversation along instead of having Red feel even worse or blamed for. Eventually they wound up with Red gushing about his baby again, asked if he had seen a sex therapist (to which Red shook his head since the whole ‘adventure’ had happened and Elliot was left writing a mental note to mention it to BB), and then asked about how his day was in general.

When the group was done, they broke off to have a few cookies and punch off to the side. Some intense gazes left Elliot sitting next to Red who was downing a Capri Sun, and Carolyn who was gently eating a trail mix bar thing. She smiled at Elliot. “Red’s a very kind person to have around, we’re all eager to learn more of his baby,” she whispered, taking a sip of water. “Don’t take anything we do personally, please.”

Elliot smiled, nodding. “I won’t, I promise, I understand there’s ah…some…issues with having someone new in a group, of course.”

Carolyn let out a soft laugh, leaning over to pat his knee. “It’s not that. You’re not here with a story to share, nor a burden to unload.” She smiled softly. “They’re jealous. _We’re_ jealous. We’re happy you’re here for Red, but when people come here with nothing to contribute or thinking they can listen in on some drama…” she paused, shaking her head. “That hurts worse than anything.”

With that she rose up, wishing Red a good day as she slowly walked out of the gym. Red waved happily, then patted Elliot’s hand as the man sighed. “It’s okay, it just takes a while!”

Elliot smiled at him, sighing. Red had good intentions, but Carolyn was right. Unlike the mothers’ group who were happy to talk of their infants and families and trade stories, this group held tight onto their boundaries, rightfully so. They didn’t trust him, and they didn’t have to.

Either way, unless Red specifically asked him to, he wouldn’t accompany him to the groups again. He was only trying to see how they were in order to put everything down on paper.

Papyrus picked them up again, and Mr. Tart waved at them cheerily as they left. Elliot chuckled, walking next to Papyrus who had Red up in his arms again. “Red, did you want me to come with you tomorrow?”

Red squeaked. “Yeah yeah! BB says they partner up but um, we have odd numbers!! Right Papyrus?”

“INDEED! I BELIEVE BLUE WAS WANTING TO HELP OUT WITH YOU, RED, BUT HE’LL GO WITH STRETCH IF YOU COME, ELLIOT.” Papyrus smiled at him and Elliot felt a little guilty about inserting himself-again-into what seemed to be a nice family event. Still, Red wanted him to come, and it would also help him gauge how well Red would do with his own baby.

“Of course, then. I’ll be there.”

(Because that was also part of his job. Red was his first, but unfortunately if he thought Red was a danger to Boss, he would have to report it. But deep down, watching Red pull out photos and chatter about his baby and sing softly to his belly in the car, Elliot really felt like he had nothing to worry about.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elliot: all these people are too reasonable and logical, what do
> 
> XD
> 
> I was going to group Blue up for childcare with Red, but I might stick Elliot with him now. It's that one class where you get a fake baby and do things like change diapers and bathe and clothe them and stuff.
> 
> Because I love that episode in shows.
> 
> And then. Therapy. And then we go into July which my fellow Americans know what's coming UwU
> 
> (or maybe all ya'll, but like look. Fireworks. I need them.)


	47. Babies and Massages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot attends a childcare class. Red gets to relaaaaax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Child care classes are important, yes, but a tad boring to those who basically raised their little brothers for half their lives XD

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant

This started the week that Elliot would spend time with Red. It was…quite the adventure.

On Sunday he showed up to the community center, meeting up with the gaggle of skeletons for the childcare class that Red was so eager for him to join. The classroom was fairly large, actually, but Elliot bowed out of sitting next to Red. It wasn’t fair to take over his entire life, after all. Blue sat with Red, both of them in nice chairs as Red whispered to Blue, giggling with him. Red had on a pair of overalls over a soft shirt while Blue had a simple polo and shorts on. Elliot sat with Stretch, who passed him a root beer flavored dum dum, the most sacred of all dum dums.

“Thanks,” Elliot said, popping it in his mouth. Stretch chuckled.

“Nah, thanks for letting bro sit with Red. He’s got a bit of a crush.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow, looking back over at them curiously. “Oh?”

“Ooooh yeah.” Stretch chuckled as Blue leaned closer to Red, both of them giggling harder at some joke. “It’s cute. But it’ll just be a crush, most likely.” He shrugged. “Bro tends to get them, and they pass in time.”

Elliot nodded slowly. He didn’t think it would be beneficial for Red to be in a relationship right now, although he couldn’t deny Red one if he pursued it. “Hmm. So…what’s ah, on the agenda for him this week?”

Stretch laid his arms on the table, cushioning his head. Papyrus and Sans were on the other side, while BB and Cinnamon took a table next to Red and Blue. “Lemme think…Monday’s therapy. I think he’s got two check ups for him and baby this week too.”

Elliot hummed. “Oh, that’s good. Would he be alright me accompanying him to the baby check up?”

Stretch snorted. “He’d love it, but…well…”

“What?” Elliot looked over at him curiously.

Stretch winced. “Weeelll, you know…the doc’s gotta…do that thing.”

Elliot stared at him, enjoying how flustered Stretch was for a minute before chuckling. “Which part do you mean?”

“Theee…meeetal…thing,” he whispered. Elliot clicked his tongue, nodding. Right right, the pelvic exam…”Well, BB said last time he had a fit about it and the doc promised she wouldn’t if nothin’ happened.”

“And something happened,” Elliot sighed. Well, that was going to be a horrible day either way, it seemed.

Stretch shrugged. “Yeah. But, you know, maybe not?” He chuckled nervously. “And BB took your suggestion for that other therapist ta heart, he’s been searching around.”

That was good. When Elliot had heard of a ‘sex therapist’ he had been very squeamish at first. A person to tell you how bad your sex life is? How cruel. But he accompanied someone once to it-they asked him, nearly begged him, to go with-and…it was…interesting. It was not what he thought, certainly, and even he came out learning a few new things as well. The person thanked him for attending, but softly stated they felt brave enough to go on their own after. 

“Good, good. The OBGYN will take him off bed rest then, I take it?”

Stretch shrugged. “I dunno. Don’t know what uh, you’re supposed ta look for.”

Elliot nodded in agreement, that was fair. The chatter died down as the instructor passed around the rubber baby dolls, clapping her hands at the front. “Welcome, welcome! I’m so happy to have you all here today! Now, let’s get into our very first lesson: diapering the baby!”

And so they begun.

Since none of the skeletons needed diapers, they didn’t participate in that. Rather, Red and Blue seemed to be moving the baby’s limbs a little, curiously poking it in the cheeks. Elliot snorted. “So, is it just skeletons or all monsters?”

“If ya eat monster food, it’s the only way.”

“…huh?”

Stretch chuckled, wiggling their fake baby’s arm back and forth. “It’s the monster food that does it. Gives ya energy, just enough ta keep ya moving, doesn’t uh, come back out or nothin’.”

“Iiiinteresting.”

“Mm.”

With that, they moved on to the next lesson, which seemed to be bathing the baby. They had a small sink next to the table, so Elliot and Stretch went at it, independently though. They were doing it as a ‘contest’, just for fun of course. Surprisingly, Stretch seemed at ease bathing the fake baby, doing it quick but not jostling it around too much, wrapping it up in a towel before sticking his tongue at Elliot. “Betcha wish ya had a little brother.”

Elliot rolled his eyes, snorting. “Oh hush. Here, lemme try.”

He…was not as at ease. He kept scrubbing over the head, to which Stretch would nudge his hand away and remind him of soft bones. He left the water running when he turned his head, and despite their inability to drown, it would definitely upset and traumatize said baby to be suddenly blasted in the face with water.

He got a B- for effort at least. Stretch chuckled.

Cinnamon did it easily although even his movements seemed ‘sloppy’, but it was an ease that carried the energy across. BB was methodical, which wasn’t bad but Cinnamon laughingly reminded him there was no way any baby would be THAT still at bath time.

BB sniffed, tilting his nose into the air. “YOU’RE MERELY JEALOUS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE SAME MANNERS AS THIS PLASTIC DOLL.”

“Heh, ya got me, bro.”

Papyrus was a bit too enthused in his bathing, and made a mess around the sink. Sans seemed okay, but stilted, like he wasn’t sure how to handle a non moving baby.

Blue was the same as Papyrus, but his towel tying was nice and tight and kept the baby still. Red seemed hesitant, and his movements slow as he slowly filled the baby bathtub and scrubbed at the fake baby’s arms. He couldn’t figure out how to tuck the towel around, so he merely wrapped it a bit and then put the baby on his shoulder with a proud grin. Blue gave him a thumbs up, although the instructor kindly reminded Red that his baby would be moving, so he’d have to watch out for the movements.

It didn’t seem to upset him, so that was good.

Then it was clothing the baby. They were provided simple onesies for this one. Stretch easily managed the doll into it, but Elliot cursed softly as he kept snagging on the outstretched thumb of the doll. “Do babies even do that???”

“Blue kept trying ta hold my hand as a baby so uh, yeah.”

“That’s kinda cute.” Eventually, he got it on, although he was pretty sure limbs weren’t THAT stretchy.

The others seemed to have an easy time, it was just putting a onesie on after all, but Red was cuddling the baby and cooing after he put it on. “Bluuuue, it’s so cute!”

“I KNOW!” Blue chirped, giggling. Red had failed to button the buttons at the bottom, but it was alright, some didn’t have buttons anyway.

They went through a few steps on how to comfort the baby, and how to step away from the baby if need be, or getting someone else to watch them. “Your own health is just as vital as baby’s,” the instructor stated, “after all, baby feeds off the emotions of whoever’s holding them. Besides that, if you aren’t taking care of yourself, the baby won’t understand. So take as many breaks as you need!”

And that was it. It was about as much as Elliot had learned in his own Sex Ed course almost, but Red seemed thrilled with all the stuff, so that’s what mattered. He had to have Papyrus carry him still, since he wasn’t supposed to be walking around, but he happily hugged Elliot on their way out. Elliot chuckled. “So, what are you off to do now?”

Sans spoke up this time, “Tori says he might like a massage or somethin’, was gonna let him nap before I take him.” Red nodded eagerly, stars in his eyes.

“She said they make you feel all relaxed!”

Elliot laughed. “They sure do. How about I see you tomorrow during therapy so you can go and relax, okay?”

“Okay!” Red leaned to happily hug Elliot once he was inside the car. “I’ll see you then!”

“Bye Red, take care.” Elliot waved as they drove off. Yeah. Red had a great support group, and Elliot would fight for him as hard as he could if it came to it.

—————————————————————————————————————

Red was a little nervous now. He had to wear some kind of wrap around his chest, and then a blanket tucked around his waist. It felt awkward, but they said he could lay on his side, which he did. Sans didn’t come in but said he’d be there in a flash if he needed him. A human man came through the door, placing down a towel and some oil before shutting the door. The lights had been lowered and candles lit but Red was still very nervous.

The man smiled at him. “Hello there, you ready for a massage? Baby’s making you all cramped up, huh?”

Red giggled, nodding a bit as the man rounded the table Red was on so he was behind Red. Red tilted his head back. “A-A little. I um, fell, and now I ache a lot.”

The man tutted, taking up the oil and scrubbing his hands with it. “Oh that’s so horrible. Well, let’s see if we can’t get those aches to flying away, okay? Would you like music?”

Red thought about it for a moment then shook his head, laying back down. He jumped a bit when the slick hand touched his side, and slowly relaxed as the man rubbed around his side. The other hand cupped his shoulder, a finger digging into where the blade met his back and he gasped softly, relaxing even more. It popped nicely, and the knot of tension he didn’t know he had unfurled from it. The one hand on his side stayed there, sometimes rubbing over his belly, not too rough but constant all the same. Boss, surprisingly, didn’t do his piranha imitation, but Red could feel he was deep asleep now in his own little nap.

The other hand rolled his palm down Red’s back slowly, then back up, then down again. It felt really, really good. The man gently took his arm up, rolling it slowly and letting it stretch nicely out. Red wasn’t sure when he shut his eyes, but he did, barely jumping when he felt the man’s hands on one foot, slowly rolling the ankle and bending his leg slowly.

It was like when he went swimming, everything was slow and sluggish, making him exhausted.

He hoped the man forgave him for falling asleep on him.

—————————————————————————————————————

The secretary chuckled as Sans gently led a dazed and relaxed-and now dressed-Red from the hall. “Haven’t had a massage before, huh? Feeling okay now, hun?”

Red nodded slowly, plopping his head on Sans’ shoulder as Sans laughed softly. “Yeah he’s feelin’ real good now. The guy came and got me when he conked out, fell asleep for a good ten minutes.”

The secretary laughed, waving her hand as she checked them out. “Let me say, those hot stone massages? Oh man, melting like butter.” She shivered, grinning. “Once you have kiddo, you should come back for a Mommy’s Spa day, we have all kinds of fun stuff for our non pregnant clients.” She winked, making Red laugh softly as he nodded.

“Oookaaay…” He mumbled, yawning again. Sans chuckled.

“We better head on home before I gotta drag him, thanks.”

She waved them out, laughing. Red wasn’t the only person who came out as loose as cooked spaghetti. She idly hoped he took her up on offer, he looked like he would need a break pretty soon from whatever it was he was having to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't know how long I've been meaning to write a massage day for Red. He's all happy and smells good and sleeps <3 <3 <3
> 
> There is ABSOLUTELY going to be a spa montage in the future, right now he's all nice and happy (and maybe it's the authors attempt to prepare him for a really rough week >>)


	48. Frisk The...College Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot goes with Red to therapy. Frisk is thrilled to teach someone about monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I smacked my head on a drawer last week AND had to work all week!!! I was ITCHING to update lol.

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant

Elliot accompanied Red to his usual therapy session, with Lax’s agreeance of course. Red sadly had to be in the wheelchair again, to which he pouted about, but with Elliot and Lax’s help he was happily situated into the chair with his feet up, grinning happily.

Elliot pointed at a chair near the door. “Ah, sorry, I don’t want to be a distraction...so I’ll just sit over here!”

Lax-a bear monster, a bear! It was mind boggling!-nodded at him with a smile as she settled in her own chair. “That’s fine, the only thing I request is not to try and answer for Red nor press him with questions of your own.”

Elliot nodded, that was fair, and he took his seat after giving Red a wave. Red was in a simple short sleeved shirt with blue and white stripes, along with a pair of sweatpants that nearly swallowed him up. Elliot had come to learn that monsters who wore stripes were children, although he wondered how they would know now that they were on the surface with so many different styles.

In the car, BB had raised Red’s arm up, showing a simple braided striped bracelet. “IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE STRIPES,” he explained, “YOU COULD LOOK AT THEIR ARM. IF YOU’RE STILL WONDERING, YOU COULD ASK TO CHECK THEM, OF COURSE.”

Elliot nodded, although he didn’t know what ‘check’ was, but that was a conversation for another day. Although, he did ask what age usually meant they were no longer considered a child. Turns out while it was different for all species-Moldsmal’s were underage for all of a month, while mermaid monsters such as Miss Androca took decades before the ‘pups’ were considered old enough to branch out-but the consensus was a stalwart 16, whatever ‘16’ was in their aging.

For skeletons, they aged like humans until they hit their 20’s or so, then nothing. 

“Nothing?” he had asked.

BB had nodded back. “NOTHING, NO MORE GROWING. I THINK THE ELDEST SKELETON LIVED AN ENTIRE THOUSAND YEARS, AND ONLY DUSTED AS HE HAD BEEN A CASUALTY OF WAR.”

So you know, Elliot’s head was already spinning by the time they came to therapy. He still had _so_ many questions, but felt that Red was getting antsy so he let it be.

After a quick explanation of who he was, Lax had agreed to allow him in, and there they were. Lax smiled at Red, a notepad in her hand. “BB told me your schooling had ended.”

Red pouted, nodding as he rubbed lightly at his belly where Boss was twisting around a little. “Yeah...I miss my friends. And school! It was fun.”

“I’m sure, but it won’t be long until you go back.” Lax chuckled. “Would you like to talk about what happened last week?”

So Red did, in a stilted hesitant manner, confusedly explaining the CPS and the advocate thing that was happening. He still didn’t understand, but per his usual stance, he ignored it unless it pertained to his baby. 

Lax hummed softly. “My, yes, they sounded very concerned, didn’t they?”

“Uh-huh...I threw a pitcher at the lady.”

Elliot had to quickly cover his mouth to prevent a laugh. Oh the imagery that was. Lax frowned. “Is that so? Were you angry, or were you merely trying to get her to go away?”

Red plucked at a button on his shirt for a moment as he thought. “She made me feel...frustrated. She wouldn’t let me talk, and I got all confused.” He nodded. “Then she was mean and said I shouldn’t have my baby...maybe I was angry?” He looked very confused at that.

Lax tutted. “Yes, I should say so. That was very improper of her, and I don’t fault you for losing your temper, but you do know that you shouldn’t throw things at anyone unless it’s in self defense?”

Red quickly nodded. “I know! It’s not nice.”

“Of course, but also you shouldn’t draw someone into a FIGHT right now. You won’t be able to ATK and you’ll get hurt if your opponent decides to FIGHT.”

Elliot was completely lost at this point, but it seems Red understood as he nodded again. Well, at least she was telling him not to fight…?

They talked a bit more about Red’s meetings this past weekend, how happy Red was that Miss Jax was gone to have her baby, how his other meeting went fine (Red mumbled about having an appointment with another therapist this week, and Lax smiled and encouraged him that it was a good thing. Red just shrugged.), and Red pulled out his flip phone eagerly to show her.

“I got Elliot’s number and Sans and Blue’s and BB’s and...everyone’s! Oh, except my friends.” He deflated a bit before perking up. “But, but Sans says I might see them for the fireworks!”

Lax laughed. “That’s very true! I think it’s good to have a way to communicate to your friends, Red.” Red grinned even wider, happily squirming in place almost as he excitedly told her about the little ringtones he gave everyone.

It wound down quickly enough, and before Elliot knew it they were stashing Red away in the wheelchair to go back down the hall. He looked over at Lax for a moment. “Do you think it would be...beneficial for Red to you know, go online? Everyone does nowadays but I wasn’t sure your thoughts on it.”

Lax shook her head as she led them towards the door. “While I believe the internet is good for checking in with friends and amusement and the like, I think that type of information overload would do more harm than good right now.”

Yeah, that’s what Elliot was thinking as well. He nodded as they pushed Red out and BB greeted them, patting Red’s head as Red hugged him sweetly. Lax turned to Elliot with a smile. “So, an advocate, you say?”

Elliot quickly nodded. “Yes, ah, you see, when things happen, children can’t exactly…” he floundered for a moment, trying not to insult Red-or the many other children he had spent time with-before catching his words, “they have a hard time saying what they want, and not really..understanding the danger of a situation.”

“Mm.” Lax nodded.

Elliot continued, “So in the event that something happens, CPS steps in. They’re…” he winced, and shook his head. “Well. It’s the difference between a drill sergeant and a PE coach. The sergeant goes by his rules, and only his rules, and that’s that. The PE coach knows what he wants from his team, but knows that everyone is an individual, so he should...mold to them. You know?”

Lax clicked her tongue, nodding. “And you are the bridge between the children and this CPS.”

“Yes, exactly.” 

Lax nodded again. “I think you do marvelous work then, even if the idea is a tad confusing. Perhaps you would benefit from seeing our own Ambassador? They deal with monster/human relations, maybe they have a few pointers?”

Oh. Oh, duh, that’s right. They had an ambassador who went to the UN and all around for a few years. Elliot couldn’t believe he forgot. “Ah, I’m sure they’re busy…”

BB snorted. “YOU’D BE SURPRISED. YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR LUNCH.”

Elliot agreed, mostly since Red was giving him the wide puppy eyes. He really got attached to people, didn’t he?

(And he didn’t mean Red, either…)

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elliot was busy washing up a few dishes in the kitchen-his mother taught him if you can’t bring them some food, at least help them wash-when the door opened to the skeletons’ house.

For a moment, he was confused on why he was confused, before realizing everyone was already...here. They had just ate. Who was-

He could hear Red talking to someone excitedly and he turned, looking over at Stretch who was putting glasses away and he chuckled. “Ah it’s Frisk, go on and see ‘em, they’re back from college.”

“Right, okay…”...Frisk. Sounded familiar...he had to rack his brain a bit as he put away the plate, walking out into the hall towards the living room.

It wasn’t until he was face to face with Frisk that he realized: this was the same face that appeared over the years on all news outlets, helping monsters and humans come to agreements.

He was stunned, if he had to be honest.

For one thing, he recalled a very small child in a jumper holding onto a goat woman’s hand. This was not a small child.

Frisk was tall, perhaps a bit shorter than Elliot, with an odd bowl cut of brown hair that suited them, strangely enough. They had a polo on with jeans, and an oversized coat despite it being summer. Their hands were flickering away, making signs as they spoke with Red who answered back easily enough, his own hands making similar motions.

Elliot paused as they looked over-Frisk was sitting on the coffee table and he was sure BB would get on their trail-and he waved nervously. “Uh, hey...guys...how’s it going?”

Frisk smiled, but never opened their eyes. He wondered idly if they ever had in all the pictures and news reels he saw. They started to sign again and Elliot thanked the stars he had learned sign language, or this would be a really really awkward meeting.

‘Nice to meet you, and Red. I just got in from College,’ Frisk signed, and Red giggled.

“What’s a college?”

Frisk started to sign at him to explain and Elliot settled on the couch nearby. “I didn’t know you knew sign language, Red.”

Red blinked, his hands stopping their motions as he looked at Elliot. “...you mean the signs?”

Frisk quickly signed in Elliot’s view, ‘Skeletons go by font speech, to them this is a font called Gallaudet,’ they explained. ‘It’s a little like seeing a bright red sign and instantly knowing it means Stop even if it is in another language.’

That...made sense, in a way. Elliot nodded slowly. “Huh. That’s pretty neat. So-”

“ ‘ey.”

Sans appeared out of nowhere on top of the coffee table next to Frisk and Frisk let out a breath with a smile. ‘Dunkle Sans! I didn’t know if you were in.’

“Eh, yeah, where would I go? I’m bone-ly.” He winked, holding his hands up with a shrug and Red giggled. Frisk let out another huff of breath, shaking their head.

‘Sure, whatever you say. Mom told me you had a new addition,’ they tilted their head at Red who squeaked.

“That’s me!”

“Yuppers.” Sans sat on the table as well and Elliot snorted.

“BB’s going to throw you and the table out the window.”

“Eh, wouldn’t be the first time.” Sans winked as Red giggled harder, covering his mouth as Frisk gave a huff of a laugh. 

‘So,’ Frisk turned back to Elliot, ‘I hear through the grapevine you need some pointers. How to get humans and monsters to ah, play nice, as it were.’

Elliot wasn’t sure how, exactly, but maybe Lax knew them…? He cleared his throat, nodding a little. “Ah, it wouldn’t be so bad, but I don’t know...I guess monster...stances on things? I’m a little out of depth.”

‘Don’t worry,’ Frisk smiled, ‘I’m a pro at this by now. I’ll teach you how to get people to agree to anything. And monster things, too.’

...Elliot was sure now he was REALLY in over his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though Monsters have been up on the surface for a while now, there's still the butting of heads over things and confusion over traditions and what monsters consider normal (such as Undyne destroying a wall of a shop with a spear, that's the same ol' same ol') and what would be considered shocking to them (children not wearing stripes, or 'health insurance'. Even cars were odd for a time).
> 
> So, since Elliot hasn't really NEEDED to vault into the deep pool of Monster history, he's going to get a crash course now ;)
> 
> Thought it'd be fun to go over a few things, have Frisk pop in once or twice. The next day is going to be *something*


	49. The Beginning...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Elliot have a talk.
> 
> Frisk is...much more than you'd expect.
> 
> Surprises lie in wait for Red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Yeah! I did not mean for Frisk to be so  
This
> 
> but it happened and I'm...eeeh. I kinda like it.
> 
> Frisk, as a child, has that aura of calmness...but as an adult I kinda see it as a...dangerous calm. Heh.
> 
> Marvelous chapter 50 is coming up~! Ya'll ready for a HUGE massive chapter in which mysterious people are revealed, Undyne suplexing their new human friend into trees, mysterious events with our mysterious people, revelations to be had, and most important of all: 
> 
> Being invited to a cool Fourth of July bash the next day! Where even MORE amazing events will take place!!!

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant

‘Long ago, two races ruled over Earth. Humans and Monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.’

“Wait wait wait…” Elliot held his hand up, pausing Frisk’s quick signing. They were in the skeletons’ kitchen, Red had wandered outside with Blue to settle on the patio chair he had now claimed as his. Elliot and Frisk both had cups of coffee in front of them. “Humans…don’t use magic.”

‘They don’t. Not anymore,’ Frisk explained. ‘But we have DETERMINATION.’

Elliot frowned, a pen poised over a small spiral in his hand. “And that is…?”

‘I can’t explain it,’ they signed. ‘But know that it separates us from Monsters in that we will survive anything.’

Elliot clicked his tongue. “So…stubbornness? Perseverance?”

‘Sort of,’ Frisk explained. ‘Perseverance means standing in the middle of a storm without falling. Determination is forcing yourself through to the other side.’

“…right. Okay. And. Monsters don’t have this?”

‘First, let me explain. Monsters-and Humans-have SOULs. Monster souls have white ones, with colored magic. Humans have different colors.’ Elliot nodded along as he jotted down notes. It may not help anything with Red, but he never knew, of course. Frisk lifted their hand, placing it over their chest. ‘Mine is red. Determination. The only other ones who have colored souls are those considered Boss Monsters, or adjacent.’

Elliot hummed. He wondered what a ‘Boss Monster’ was, but for now he focused on other things. “Does that…I don’t know, give you some edge up? A superpower?” he joked lightly, but Frisk stared at him for a very long moment. Their eyes slitted open, bright ruby red eyes staring into Elliot’s, before they shut and Frisk lifted their hands.

‘Not anymore.’

Elliot didn’t know why, but he felt like he really shouldn’t press that. He cleared his throat, nodding. “W-What about the um, others? You said colors?”

‘Light Blue for patience. Orange for Courage. Blue for Integrity. Purple is Perseverance. Green, Kindness, and Yellow, Justice. The colors also pair with Monster magic.’ They cracked a grin. ‘Green is always for healing.’

This was a lot to take in. Elliot nodded slowly. “So what does it all mean?”

‘Humans, at their core, have something positive about them. Even the worst person believes themselves to be the kindest, and perhaps people who see another side of them would agree.’ Frisk paused, flexing their fingers. ‘Think of it like two beakers. One is full, and the other is not. If you swing the full one at the empty one-or half empty one-it will break.”

“…okay…”

‘While Monsters have magic and abilities that we don’t, we could destroy them at a whim.’ They paused, tilting their head. ‘It remains a mystery why the war of old kept some Monsters alive, but back then, perhaps the Human King felt…empathy towards them. Or he didn’t want his sins crawling on him.’

Elliot winced, but Frisk continued. ‘If I hit you, you would get a bruise and hurt feelings. In the worst case scenario, you would fall back and get even more hurt. If you hit a Monster with the intent to cause them harm, you would kill them.’

“B…But I could have sworn I saw some kids roughhousing once…”

‘Just as you know how far you can joke around with your friend, Monsters know just how to avoid hurting each other while still being able to ‘play fight’,’ Frisk explained. Elliot sighed roughly, dropping his pen on the counter and ruffling a hand through his hair.

“This. Is a lot. So what you’re saying is, there’s a different set of rules for…Red’s case that we should follow.”

‘If word gets out that a Human bothered an underage Monster-who’s pregnant, by the way-to the point they had a breakdown, and in response CPS of all people were called in,’ Frisk quickly signed, ‘we’ll have an international incident on our hands.’

Elliot’s mouth hung open. “What, no, wait, why?”

‘Monsters are compassionate. They take what you say at face value, and are happy you’re helping Red. But Humans aren’t like that. Think about it,’ Frisk explained. ‘If you read on the news the exact thing I just said, what would you feel? What would you think?’

“I…I would be infuriated, and sad and…”

Frisk sighed slowly, ‘And if you were a fighting type of person, you would gather up everyone you could in order to protest what’s happening. And if there’s a protest for one side…’

Elliot groaned, running his hand through his hair again. “It’ll be so much more stress and eyes on us than needed.” He sighed, burying his face in his hands. “And I don’t think Red could stand that, he hates crowds.”

Frisk patted his hand, smiling at him when he sat up. ‘I’ll do what I can, with what I’m able. I can’t tell you to stop your investigation, nor can I sway you one way or another. But I can at least prevent nosy reporters and busybodies from going to the news.’

Elliot sighed roughly, nodding. “Right.”

‘But you are right,’ they signed. ‘There are different rules. Magical uptake, if he’s able to protect himself in a FIGHT or rather, get someone to assist him. I know you’re looking into the baby as well,’ they explained, and Elliot nodded.

“Unfortunately they take a sharp eye on infants when something happens.”

‘I know this may not happen, but you absolutely cannot allow them to separate Red and the baby.’

Elliot frowned, sitting up a little. “I know he’s your friend, Frisk, but if it comes about that he might…well, if things go awry, it may be our only decision.”

Frisk frowned. ‘I did not mean that as a choice, Mr. Smith. Unlike Humans who can easily be fed formula or attach onto a new family, Monster babies can and will die without their parental magic being introduced.’

Elliot blinked, his face going white. “Wait. What…?”

‘Just what I said. There were emergency precautions and loopholes they found after the war, when parents were lost or dusted. But they’re only for emergencies in which the parent dies, not for something where they are separated for as long as you deem fit.’

Elliot bit his lip, fingers tapping on the counter. “They’re dependent…I mean, I can try, maybe by the time he comes along all this will be over with.”

Frisk’s eyes opened slowly again, the slit of ruby red peeking out as they smiled at Elliot. ‘If it comes to it, I will absolutely use whatever powers bestowed on me to wreak havoc through your department and leave a scorched trail behind me. This is, quite literally, life or death, and I’d hate to see you lot choose death.’ Frisk stood up, keeping their eyes on Elliot for a moment. ‘I do believe Mother is wanting to chat to whoever is over the CPS here anyway, she’s always been a ‘helper’ of a sort. A bleeding heart, I’ve been told. If there’s something that needs to be explained, well, it’s no wonder she’s a teacher. If things go awry, or should something unpleasant rise up in your case…trust me when I say my fury is a mere ember compared to hers.’

With that, their eyes shut, smiling happily at Elliot who was quite shaken up by this point, and they patted his hand. ‘I trust you, though. So you’re safe. I do believe Red had a doctor’s appointment today. I should go, I promised Mom to help make pie.’

“Y-Yes…” Elliot cleared his throat, picking up the spiral. “We, um, yes..it was…nice to meet you?”

Frisk just smiled, stepping out of the kitchen, leaving Elliot wondering exactly what would pour out of the Pandora’s Box Cassidy had ripped open carelessly.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Elliot knew he had to have looked bad, as Red kept asking him what was wrong, and even BB was looking at him curiously. Elliot waved it off, assuring Red he was just happy to visit the doctor with him.

Red wore a simple little red and black striped sweater with a pretty nice looking skirt. He still had to be pushed around in the wheelchair, which he disliked, but seemed pleased when Elliot helped him up onto the bed, table thing.

Red chatted with BB as Elliot sat on the other side. Every case was important, every single child that came through his life was in absolute need of being helped. Sometimes he failed, not through his own fault, but by the fault of a system that let certain things slip through cracks. But by the gods he hoped they were competent this time. One single misstep, and he was pretty sure they’d end up sentencing a baby to death and having a vengeful Ambassador reign vengeance upon them.

He wouldn’t blame them either. Sometimes, when the case went bad, or when he had to follow some stupid rule or regulation that he knew would end up backfiring on them stupendously, he…well he…he shook his head, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. No no, can’t think on that. Had to stay positive, just like Red told him. He was so enthusiastic, it was nice.

The doctor came in, another cloud monster that he idly pondered if he was related to the woman in Red’s group, and the monster sat on the chair, rolling up to Red. “Hello hello, here we are! Ah, who’s your friend?”

Elliot gave a small smile. “I’m Elliot Smith, I’m a child advocate who’s just…checking in on Red.” Red nodded quickly.

“He’s nice!”

The doctor held his hand out and Elliot shook it. It was like…it was like squeezing an empty two liter bottle, in a way? “I am Doctor Cumul, pleasant to meet you! Let’s get down to business.” He let go, putting the file down on a chair near him. “Alright, how’s the leg holding up then?”

BB chuckled. “IT’S GOING GOOD, WE HAVEN’T SEEN HIM LIMPING.” 

Red nodded, and Elliot assumed this was the ‘chain’ thing that was in Red’s file. “Uh-huh, it doesn’t hurt or itch!”

Doctor Cumul nodded, adjusting his glasses a bit before he patted his thigh. “Alright, foot up, let me measure.” Red squeaked, squirming to sit up and balance his foot on the doctor’s leg. Cumul leaned in, flicking something on his glasses that pulled a slightly smaller…magnifying glass in front? “Yes, yes. Bare sight, looks as squeaky clean as the rest of you. A bit lighter, but with this summer sun, I have no doubt it’ll tan up.”

Red nodded and Cumul leaned over to a drawer, fishing around in it to pull out some kind of wrench looking thing that had numbers scrawled on it. Elliot perked up. “What’s that?”

Cumul pulled it forward, wiggling it for them to see. “This measures bone density. Can’t do it to humans, got all that flesh in the way, but it’s crucial that skeletons keep their mass in order. Too thick, could crack a joint. Too thin, crack a femur. Let’s see.” 

Well. That was. Pretty neat. Elliot pondered how many specialized tools were made just for monsters-you couldn’t measure Doctor Cumul’s heart rate after all-but he watched as the doctor lined up the wrench end around the slightly whiter bone. “Small pinch, won’t hurt too bad.”

Red pouted, nodding. After a few moments, he winced, but it didn’t seem to upset him as Cumul quickly pulled the wrench thing back open. “A little spongy, but it’s well within the usual parameters. Maybe another round of calcium shots, or maybe an additional glass of milk at lunch.” Elliot couldn’t tell how he knew the doctor winked, as the clouds just moved lightly, but it made Red laugh all the same.

BB nodded. “OF COURSE.”

Cumul nodded, and pulled out a small penlight. “Alright, let’s get a look at you.” Red tilted his head forward so Cumul could shine the light in his sockets. Elliot found it just as unnerving as when Red shoved a toothbrush into his socket. He checked Red’s mouth, then had him raise his arms up and down. “All looks well, sadly I’m not too sure on what to do for his tooth situation.”

BB grimaced. “WE’RE LOOKING INTO IT.”

The doctor nodded, smiling at Red. “Well, is there anything you’d like me to look at? You look healthy to me.”

Red perked up. “My back hurts a lot! I don’t like it.”

The doctor chuckled, standing back up from his chair. “A side effect of pregnancy, I’m sorry to say. But I’ll give you a glance over, just to be safe.” He stood to the side, gently guiding Red to lean forward. Elliot helped BB tug up the striped sweater but the doctor stopped them.

“What is it?”

Cumul leaned in, the magnifying glass popping out again as he seemed to inspect the base of Red’s skull. “I’m not certain. Red, did you have something done to your head?”

Red shrugged. “I dunno, don’t think so.”

Cumul pointed at a pin prick of a hole that was nestled between Red’s jaw and neck, and one on the other side mirroring it. “It looks a tad like someone took a drill to him. But it’s much too small.”

BB grunted. “I DON’T THINK WE HAVE THOSE HOLES, NO. BUT, RED IS A DIFFERENT SKELETON…”

Cumul nodded, digging around in his pocket and slipping a green bandaid on both sides. Elliot shrugged at BB. He didn’t know either, could’ve been some sort of wound that never healed. The green bandaids lit up, instantly healing the small holes and disappearing. Magic was amazing.

Cumul felt over Red’s back, nodding a bit as he touched the ecto connected to the bones. “Yes, it’s just pulling on your bones and you aren’t used to it. Take longer baths, let someone give you a massage, and put pillows under your back to ease the pain.” They let Red lean back and Red nodded. 

“Okaaaay.”

Doctor Cumul chuckled. “You’re fit to go, Red. No HP loss I can see, your DEF is still up pretty high. Magic levels are nice, but before I clear you of bed rest, you do need to check in with Doctor Anya to make sure all is well.” Red nodded eagerly.

“I will!”

“Good, good. If you don’t need me for a while I’d say about six months before I see you again…” Cumul tilted his head. “Actually, how about a week after you give birth, whenever that is? That way we can catch anything before it happens.”

Red nodded easily, and Elliot still felt a few words flying over his head. All the same, they helped Red into his wheelchair, heading back out into the waiting room. Elliot looked over at BB curiously. “What does ATK mean? Is it a monster…thing?”

BB nodded after a moment. “YOU COULD SAY THAT. IT’S FIGHT STATISTICS. IT’D BE EASIER TO SHOW YOU IN AN ACTUAL BATTLE.” He paused. “THE BEST PERSON WOULD BE UNDYNE, ACTUALLY, BUT PAPYRUS IS THE ONE WHO TALKS TO HER THE MOST.”

“Oh. Okay, ah, then I will…ask her. This was a good visit, huh?”

Red grinned up at Elliot excitedly. “I get to take a loooong bath.”

Elliot snickered, patting Red’s head lightly. “That’s all you liked about it, is it?”

“Yes!”

BB shook his head with a smile, opening the car door. “WE’LL STILL CHECK ON YOUR LEG, BUT HE DIDN’T SEEM WORRIED. NOW-”

“Ice cream?” Red laced his hands together under his chin with big eyes.

Oooh. Puppy eyes level two. No way getting away now.

BB groaned. “FINE. THAT’S CONSIDERED MILK ANYWAY,” he muttered. “BUT YOU HAVE TO EAT SOME ASPARAGUS THIS AFTERNOON IN EXCHANGE.”

Red didn’t seem to quite care as he happily sat down, nearly bouncing in happiness at the thought of ice cream.

——————————————————————————————————

Back home, Cinnamon had been in the room with the machine, digging through boxes that they still, years on, hadn’t found time to go through and empty.

The machine beeped loudly, then faster, and Cinnamon disappeared to drag Sans and Stretch to it in an instant. A pleasant happy ‘ding’ sounded when Sans turned it on, a green light on top indicating it had connected to another.

Two figures barreled through, knocking Sans and Stretch over, and in the car Red winced, clutching at his temple with a soft whine. It felt like something popped, then settled in his head.

He brushed it off as an ice cream headache, and went back to gleefully eating his banana split.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several things!
> 
> 1\. It would be an International Incident as Monsters are more...around now, rather than just in Ebbot. As Frisk said, once it was explained, Monsters would agree and greet Elliot with open arms. The thing is, news and media would...well they wouldn't put anyone in a *positive* light. If they make it as if Red's being abused, the Monsters would definitely spring up to defend him. If they make it out as CPS 'picking' on the Monsters...well ah. Well. You'd have Sympathizers and Haters crawling out of the woodwork, petitions making rounds, etc. etc.
> 
> If I'm honest that WOULD be an interesting way to go, but we'll have to see. I do have a plan, and I highly doubt Frisk would let any of this get out of their hands.
> 
> 2\. Is Frisk Chara? Are they just Frisk? What do you think they meant by 'not anymore'? :)
> 
> 3\. Yes I'm indicating that the skeles are Boss Monsters, because look. You fight them, Toriel, Undyne, MTT, and Asgore. I nominate them as Boss Monsters. (Alphys is...perhaps a Mini Boss, stronger than usual but not as much as a Boss)
> 
> 4\. The Loophole Frisk is talking about is one I've touched on either here or in my other story. If the child is a newborn, and neither parent are around, then if they're quick a Monster could 'adopt' said child by introducing their magic by way of bottles and the like. Unfortunately, sometimes this just didn't work, but the ones that did were happily accepted into the families. For Instance, I honestly believe Muffet was a different kind of monster but was adopted/cared for by the Spider Clan. To me, it makes sense.
> 
> The thing is, this is a permanent solution. As Frisk said, you can't hoist the baby off on a family for a month until the case is clear then hand them back. Either they stay with their parents, or they're adopted into the family. No in between. And, you can't undo it, or rewrite over it. It'd end badly.
> 
> 5\. I made Elliot a sad boy, didn't mean it.
> 
> 6\. Hmm. Wonder what those holes are. Oh well. Can't be important. But look! They're gonna visit Undyne and we got visitors!!! :D :D :D


	50. Red, Edge, Boss, Fell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Edge meet. Elliot and Undyne meet. The meetings go about as could be expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait. I had a head cold, it was AWFUL. But now I'm in a MOOOOD!

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant

The first thing they did was avoid two separate attacks from the new guests.

The second thing they did was invite them to sit on the couch. You know, like polite hosts, as BB would have demanded of them.

The Papyrus-Fell-was tall, and scarred over his eye, and scowling in black leather armor. The Sans-they called him Edge-looked…frighteningly enough like Red, except for the permanent scowl and leather jacket. And, well, absent the belly.

The third thing they did was feel all sorts of regret when the door opened _and none of them had text BB about the situation_.

Red, of course, didn’t know a thing was going on as he happily shuffled on his socked feet into the living room, pausing to gasp at the sight of the two. It was the other him!! And the other tall one!!! He sped over, not seeing them tense up at his sudden appearance. “Other me! It’s nice to see you again, you look tired, do you want lemonade?” He chattered on, reaching out to pat the other.

Edge reached back in shock almost, as if to stop the impending hug or touch, whatever. “Kid? Fuck, what the hel-”

Their hands touched, and it was like a sonic boom echoed in the home. Edge didn’t seem affected, but it made Fell jumped up with a bone attack, staring at the two of them. Red hiccuped, swaying in place with a bright blush on his face. “Ooohhh…I feel really good now!” He giggled, then slowly climbed onto the couch and plunked his head on Edge’s lap. “ ‘M gonna…sleep…” he muttered.

Edge stared down at him in shock, then up at Fell with a shrug. Fell scowled. “WELL, ISN’T THAT A PRETTY PICTURE,” he grumbled as BB appeared out of nowhere with a dangerous look on his face.

“WHAT HAPPENED.”

Edge huffed, keeping his hands up away from the dozing Red. “I didn’t do nothing! Fuck you. He fell asleep.”

BB rolled his eyes, making a ‘tch’ noise as Sans appeared from a shortcut, shrugging as well. “We’ve never had two of th’ same timeline meet. Might be just a thing.”

BB scowled. “I’D LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ‘THING’ IT IS. I’M MAKING LUNCH,” he grumbled, heading back out with a sharp turn. Elliot had left as he had something to do at his office, so they didn’t have to worry about him, at least.

Red dozed on, curled up on the couch and his head pillowed on Edge’s lap as he snored. Sans snorted as Edge huffed, his hand on Red’s head. “Shut up. What?”

“Didn’t say nothin’. He just looks comfy.” Sans shrugged, and Fell snorted, shaking his head. 

“WHAT _WAS_ THAT, ANYWAY?”

Sans shrugged, leaning back onto the coffee table lazily. “Dunno. Can’t really say, none of us have met a uh, off shoot of our own..universe.”

Fell and Edge blinked, Edge scowling. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Ah, yeah, lemme explain…”

—————————————————————————————————————————

Elliot groaned from where he laid on the ground. He’d been ‘invited’ (read: voluntold) to be shown how to fight a monster, even though he’d never do so, just for ‘FUNSIES!’ and ‘l-learning and bonding!’. Something like that. Either way, he’d been introduced to Undyne who introduced him to Alphys, her wife who blushed and stuttered and couldn’t look him in the face, and Undyne nearly put him in a noogie position. Which, ow, he hadn’t had a noogie since he was in grade school!

And then she suplexed him nearly into a boulder and managed to throw him to the ground. Ow. 

Undyne clapped her hand on his, yanking him up with a laugh. “C’mon DORK! Get up and FIGHT ME!” Elliot groaned as he was easily lifted up, swaying on his feet. Undyne was taller than him, red vibrant hair somehow blowing in the wind that wasn’t actually blowing?? And an eyepatch. He wondered if she’d tell him the story about that.

“Okay, okay. How do we do this?”

“Like THIS!”

And then the world went black.

In the black world, Undyne was black and white. Weirdly enough there was a box between them, and in it laid a set of words. Underneath the box were four large orange buttons. 

*Undyne flexes to show off!

Undyne laughed, bouncing in place. “Alright, NERD! Here’s what we’re gonna do! You’re gonna hit FIGHT and hit me with all ya got!” She put up her fists, a bright blue spear appearing between them.

What the hell did Elliot get himself into.

Elliot gulped, hesitating before tapping the button nearby. He jumped when a large…odd looking thing appeared in the box, a line sliding over it. He panicked, and hit it again, stopping it near the end. A slash appeared over Undyne, but it didn’t do anything. She laughed as a purple heart appeared in the box. “Nice try, PUNK! Now, pay attention!”

…was that…music? It was…pretty nice actually, made you want to get up and do something. Where was it coming from?

Undyne pointed her spear at the heart in the middle. “THAT RIGHT THERE?! That’s your SOUL, punk! Nice one, by the way. That’s the very culmination of your being!” She waved her spear to point up in the air. Elliot nodded slowly.

“Okaaay. Er. So…”

“SO! That’s how you DEFEND YOURSELF!” She swung her spear and Elliot jumped, but all it did was turn the heart green with…a weird shield on it. In a quick second several small spears were thrown, hitting the shield.

“What-”

“That’s MY attack! Ya gotta keep an eye on it! Now fight me!” She laughed, waving her spear again. Elliot shook his head slightly in amusement. This was…interesting, for sure, but he could see why it’d be bad for Red to be in a battle at least for now. He curiously hit ACT. A few choices popped up. He hit CHECK.

*Undyne  
*7 ATK  
*15 DEF  
*the heroine that NEVER gives up

…huh. That was…interesting. What did that mean? He couldn’t think too much on it when Undyne attacked again, and he had to use the shield to avoid them. Undyne groaned. “Noooo, you gotta attack! C’mon, we can FIGHT until we pass out!”

Elliot tried not to laugh, he didn’t think she’d take it well, and he just hit ACT when it came back up. There was just PLEAD and CHALLENGE. Didn’t seem too helpful. He backed out of it, hitting the ITEM button. It just said something about his pen. He hit the MERCY button curiously. 

*Spare  
*Flee

Huh.

Elliot hit the buttons a few times, ending up on PLEAD. “Come on, Undyne, I don’t want to actually fight you!”

Undyne groaned, sending more attacks at him. “It’s how ya TRAIN, NERD! And learn! RIGHT, ALPHYS?!” Alphys’ black and white image slid into view, in the middle of eating a cup of noodles.

“O-Oh well, you could read about it o-or…well…I’m just watching.” She slid away as Undyne nodded.

“YEAH!”

Elliot just shook his head, hitting SPARE this time. Undyne groaned harder, but accepted the MERCY, letting them back into the real world. Her spear disappeared as she fell back onto the ground. “UGH. Elliot! You gotta train to be SUPER STRONG!” She yelled, punching the air. Elliot sat down on the small porch near Alphys, chuckling.

“She’s real big on fighting, huh?”

Alphys nodded, tapping away at her cell. “O-Oh um, yeah, she u-used to be the Captain of th-the Royal Guard.”

Oh. That made sense, then. Elliot frowned, tapping his foot on the ground. “So mercy is…what? There’s running away, which, I’ve played games before. I get it. But Spare?”

Alphys tilted her head, the glasses slipping down her nose as she pushed them back up lightly. “H-Humans would consider it…Compassion, I-I suppose. Forgiveness.”

Forgiveness. Sparing meant…he forgave Undyne for attacking him. And her acceptance meant she forgave him too? What a headspinner. “Huh.”

“Y-Yeah, everyone g-gets in arguments or they f-fight with each other, but there’s al-always the option of Mercy.” Alphys nodded, tapping on her phone. “E-Even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

Elliot hummed, tipping his head back as he looked at the clouds. Undyne started suplexing a giant boulder in the backyard, cackling madly. “That’s an interesting take on things, Alphys. Thanks. I should go though, I’ve got reports to type up-”

“W-Wait, hang on!” She ran inside, rushing back out and holding up a cup of tea. “T-To heal you back up. U-Undyne makes great tea!”

She wasn’t wrong. The tea was warm, and tasted like melted caramel in a way. He smiled at Alphys, handing her the cup back. “Thanks, Alphys. That was delicious! I’ll see ya around, okay?”

Alphys nodded, taking the empty cup. “Of course! Have a n-nice evening!”

He definitely would now…so long as his muscles stopped twinging from Undyne’s enthusiastic suplex earlier…strangely enough, he didn’t feel the tightness in the muscle as he went to his car. Nice. Still, he had an excuse for a long warm bath.

————————————————————————————

A squeak of a marker as Sans finished drawing a line, and he laid it down on the whiteboard’s edge. “Whelp. That’s all I got.”

It had several circles, Sans’ blue above them and lines darting off him and connecting to other ones. There was a red circle, and near it another one, intersecting. Edge crossed his arms, scowling. “So, what, it’s another life? Ain’t that what all we are?”

Red had stirred after a while, starving as he rushed to the table. When he checked on the baby later, the shell of protective magic had dissipated, and the baby was happily squirming around, making Red thrilled and showing off to the others. As best he could from his glider, of course.

BB had taken Red to take a bath and head to bed, mostly since Red wanted to chat someone’s ear off about the baby, but also to leave the ‘SCIENCE NERDS’ to their guessing.

Sans tapped the two red circles. “Yes, and uh, no. Blue is me but in a different way, just like you and Red and BB.” Sans hummed. “But you two, and Red’s world, are the same…line? Sorta? That diverted at one point.”

Fell scoffed. “WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?”

Stretch popped out his sucker, twirling it in his fingers. “ ‘S like a book. We’re a book, Sans’ a book, BB’s a book. But you and Red? Ya’ll are more of a choose your own adventure novel.” He popped his sucker back in as Cinnamon nodded. Edge furrowed his eye sockets, thinking.

“So…if things had went south, that’d be our ‘story’?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s the same…tone. If that makes any sorta sense,” Sans chuckled. “Basically, you and Red are the same in every way, except for personality and memories.”

Edge nodded slowly. “…guess that makes sense. What, the kid just yanked my magic?”

Stretch nodded. “The baby was hurt, so he probably thought you were his mom and took up some excess magic.” He shrugged. “Seemed okay, although Red sure got dizzy, huh?”

Fell scowled, tapping his foot. “IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN THERE’S ANOTHER ME, RIGHT?”

They were all quiet for a moment, Edge from thinking, the others trading glances.

“WHAT? AM I DEAD OR SOMETHING?” Fell rolled his eyes.

Cinnamon chuckled nervously. “Noooo. You aren’t. Born yet.”

“…WHAT.”

Upstairs, Red had slipped deep into his bed, tucking his blanket around himself as he cooed at the happy, energetic baby. “Bossy~! You’re all better now, aren’t you! Happy baby,” he cooed, yawning softly as he nuzzled into the pillow. “Sleep time, Boss, got a lotta stuff to do!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe. So yeah so basically take it like this:
> 
> There's you, then an alt you that maybe is younger than your sibling and is more energetic. There's another you that went through a LOT and the world they're from is dark.
> 
> But then there's a you that is basically, at the core, the exact same PERSON as you, but what changed is just one point in their life. One point that set them into a different personality and different memories. But they're YOU. 
> 
> Edge=Mommy Edge just saying
> 
> so yeah basically Edge and Red share the same exact magic, they're the same height, etc. Red's probably going to latch onto Edge since he's been trying to get him over here every day XD 
> 
> hmmm...what else...Undyne was FUN to write for, man I need her more. 
> 
> Next up is the check up for baby and then! An invitation! For something!


	51. Mothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fell's alt is Red's baby...so this means...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so like remember where we were headed bc it seems like Fell threw middle fingers at that plan.

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant  
Wednesday

Fell was greatly troubled. First off just by the ‘accommodations’ they were given. …okay the bed was very nice, but it wasn’t COOL! It was a boring bed with a wooden frame! And Edge just laughed at him when he complained! Rude. The main thing is, however, the Red character.

From what Fell could understand is that ‘they’ existed in every universe, most of the time as brothers. It differed on ages, but they existed all the same. Red did not have ‘a Papyrus’. 

Red was Edge…but in…a different scenario?

He wasn’t sure on that either, and neither were the others it had seemed. All they could agree on was this Gaster fellow making Red an experiment, while theirs didn’t. They just called him Doc, a cold man who didn’t talk much but kept them safe, secure, and in a home. A parent of a sort, he supposed.

But in Red’s world there was no Papyrus around to protect him from the dangerous clutch of the doctor. Idly, for just a moment, Fell wondered darkly if he had been just a bit younger-or just a bit smaller-when they met the Doc, if the end result would have been the same for Edge. Fell shook that thought away quickly. 

It was obvious then! The other him was too little to protect Sans as he should, so Fell should just take up the mantle for both of them! He’d been ‘in charge’ most of his and Edge’s life, what was one more? However, it was a little confusing since his other self…was Red’s child…and not his brother. Hmm.

Fell greeted Red that morning at his door, Red yawning sleepily with one hand on his belly. “Hmmm? Hiiii Fell-”

“I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SINCE YOU ARE…BOSS’ MOTHER, THEN THAT MUST MEAN YOU ARE MINE AS WELL.” Fell nodded, standing prim and proper in his armor (they had promised to go shopping for clothes for the two, albeit Fell needed nothing but his armor!). “AND THUS I MUST ASSIST YOU IN MAKING SURE HE IS JUST AS GREAT AND TERRIFYING AS I!” Red blinked up at him, then giggled, smiling.

“Well if he grows up as amazing as you, I’ll be proud!”

Fell’s face burst into a blush, and he forgot the rest of his speech as he followed Red to the bath, standing ‘guard’ outside the door (it was to help Red up in case he couldn’t, but still. Guard.).

Of course, the others had interesting reactions when he boldly said it as he and Red entered the kitchen. Red merely climbed into his chair, digging into the stack of pancakes with abandon. 

Edge choked on his cup of coffee, coughing. “P-Pap, he ain’t our mom!”

“OF COURSE NOT, SANS! YOU’RE HIS TWIN.” He said it in a ‘duh’ type of voice with a roll of his eyes. Edge seemed to be stumped at that while BB grimaced.

“I…SUPPOSE FOR LACK OF ANYTHING ELSE, THAT’S…TRUE,” he mumbled. Sans shrugged, taking a bite of bacon.

“Since Red’s an offshoot of a main, it’d be more like Red’s the twin and Boss would still ah…be you, just. Baby form.” Sans blinked. “…I guess.”

Papyrus nodded. “VERY CONFUSING! PLUS, YOU’RE OLDER THAN RED! …RIGHT?”

Fell grunted, frowning now with his arms crossed over his chest. “MAYBE! NO? I’M 17!”

Red squeaked, patting Fell’s arm. “You ARE older! No wonder you’re so tall!” Fell flustered again at that and Edge snorted, shaking his head. 

“Makes ‘bout as much sense as anythin’, I guess.”

It was Edge’s turn to be flustered when Red gleefully hugged him on their way out calling him ‘brother!’ with that bright happy look on his face.

Well, if they had to ‘suffer’ through this in exchange for living on the surface, eh, not a bad trade-off.

————————————————————————————————————————————

Blue tried very very hard to explain who the newcomers were to Elliot on their way to the OBGYN. Elliot just remained even more confused, but decided to talk it out with them when they were done. 

Doctor Anya was very kind, from what Elliot could see. She was right, the ecto skin…thing was very useful in checking upon little babies. Elliot sat away from them though, so as not to distract. Anya hummed, her jelly fingers rubbing over Red’s belly and making him laugh at the ticklish feeling, squirming a bit. She shifted her head, nodding slowly.

“Whatever it was, it was a great magical boost, certainly. Boss is up and rolling, and you look fit as a fiddle, dear!” Red blushed happily, giggling.

“Picture!”

“Yes yes, let me check a few things, dear.” Anya smiled, tapping lightly over the baby’s foot making him move around. Edge and Fell were actually sitting with Elliot, a bit nervous and stiff as a board, although Fell looked antsy as he shifted in his seat. Elliot still had no idea how they were all…related.

Anya nodded. “All seems well, then. You might be feeling a few pains here and there, like growing pains of a sort, but it’s merely your hips stretching out a little in order to help out with the birth later on.” She smiled. “It’s nothing to worry over, unless it’s so strong you can’t move or it makes you sick.” Blue nodded.

“WE’LL WATCH HIM!”

Red squeaked, swinging his feet lightly. “Yes! Picture???”

Anya laughed, and dragged over an ultrasound machine. At least Elliot could recognize that. A small picture later-and a bit more of an in-depth check on the baby through the machine-and they were ready to go. Edge and Fell grumbled nervously as they headed out, but it seemed that they didn’t really go too far away from Red. Edge let him hug his arm even while walking with Blue, while Fell gave Elliot a lot of curious glances…or glares, he couldn’t really tell the difference.

Elliot smiled at Red as they waited on Blue to drive the van up to the door. “Well, I say you got the all clear, huh?” Red nodded, squeaking.

“Just in time for Friday!!”

“What’s happening Friday?”

Edge shrugged and mumbled ‘dunno’ as he sunk into his jacket while Red bounced in place, making Edge’s arm move with each bounce. “A picnic ‘n’ something called fireworks!!”

Elliot nodded slowly, then laughed. “Oh, right right, fourth of July! I guess you guys never had fireworks, huh?”

Fell scowled, crossing his arms impatiently as he stared out into the parking lot. “DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE.”

“They make a lot of lights and noises,” Elliot explained, pushing off the wall as the van sputtered into view. “It’s fairly loud, actually, but I guess you all are doing some kind of shindig huh?”

They shrugged again while Edge hopped into the van and Fell scolded him for nearly falling while helping Red into his seat. Blue nodded from the seat. “YEAH! WE’RE HAVING A GET TOGETHER, YOU CAN COME IF YOU LIKE! THERE’LL BE TORIEL’S PIE-”

“Pie?!” Edge stood up, dangling over the back of the middle seat facing the front. “Let’s go!”

Red peeked up at Edge. “It’s not until Friday, silly!”

“Uuuuggh…” Edge seemed to slide back into his seat as Blue chuckled.

“ANYWAY IT’S A LOT OF FOOD AND FUN! I’LL TEXT YOU!” Elliot gave a thumbs up, giving a lazy salute.

“Okay, that does sound fun, you got me there. Alright, you all be safe, I’ll see you soon. I’ll uh, call Sans about the whole…” Elliot made a gesture to the back where the two Fell brothers were and Blue nodded as the door was shut.

“GOOD DEAL! GOODBYE!”

“Byyyee Elliot!” Red waved from the back happily, settling back in his seat as Fell fussed about moving around in the car.

Elliot waved as they headed out, and he sighed. Well. Time to be so very confused by Sans’ explanation and try and wrap his head around something new. At least Red seemed happy with the development.

————————————————————————————————————

Blue and Papyrus threw themselves into decorating the Fell brothers’ room for them. They got them some clothes they thought they’d like, and Blue even set up a ‘battlefield’ for Fell with action figures. They were quite detailed, actually, Fell was impressed…and touched, if he was honest. Edge begrudgingly thanked the others, but he seemed more pleased with it than he let on based on how he switched from the sweater he was wearing under his jacket into t-shirt with a flaming skull on it.

Red got distracted by the sweater Edge tossed in the hamper. Edge frowned. “What?”

“I had a sweater. It was warm.” Red blinked, staring at him. Edge shifted nervously.

“O…kay…what ah…happened to it?”

“BB let me burn it.” Another blink, then Red was grinning, and shuffling out the door to the garden so he could ‘soak in the sun’ he claimed.

Edge was so confused.

Fell followed Edge and Red around like a distressed mother hen, nearly as bad as BB used to be. No amount of assuring-from either ‘twin’ skeleton or the others-made him let up. They ate dinner, then it was off to bed. Fell fussed again over Edge and Red, although Edge was used to it and would often snap back in a back and forth they usually had.

Red paused at his door, craning his neck to look up at Fell. “You know I’m not your mama for real though…right…?”

Fell scowled, crossing his arms as Edge started to walk off down to their own room. “I KNOW THAT! BUT YOU ARE TO ANOTHER…ME! SO THAT…YOU KNOW! RIGHT?”

Red nodded, looked down, then looked back up with a smile. He tugged on Fell’s arm until he bent down and Red kissed his cheek. “You’re a good boy! Both of you!”

Edge’s skull turned red from where he was opening the door, sputtering as Red opened his own door. “Night night!”

In their own room, they slept on opposite ends. The bed, now fashioned into a badass Batmobile, was large enough to fit the both of them. Fell in his literal night cap and set of pajamas, Red in a long shirt and shorts with one sock on and one sock off. He was so weird.

“He’s right, ya know,” Edge muttered, staring up at the ceiling with his hands over his chest. “He ain’t our mom and he ain’t kin to us.”

“YEAH,” Fell mumbled, tilting his head back as he shut his eyes. “IT WAS NICE THOUGH…” to think about? To hear someone compliment them? The others did too, and wasn’t that an odd feeling all by itself. 

“…go to sleep, bro.” Edge shifted, rolling onto his side, and they fell asleep with their own confusing thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like if I'm your son in another world then that means you're my mom perfect logic-Fell
> 
> I won't lie, I find it rather cute Fell calling Red 'MOM' with absolutely no other reason than because he wants a mom-I mean is confused about alternate universes-I mean because he wants to be a good role model for his little bro-other self
> 
> it's a lot of thinking. 
> 
> Edge is...he's...he's nervous. He's taking it far better than you'd think. But like. He thinks he'll wake up back in their world after another Reset (which he'll explain it all in the next chapter haha)
> 
> There's also something he's a bit scared of, which is pretty noticeable pfft.
> 
> Fell is 17, Edge is 19, they're not considered kids by Monsters , much less in their own universe, but they're young still. Underfell wasn't the best world. Neither was SF , to be honest, but you'd have to yank that out of them with a pair of pliers lol.
> 
> anywhoooooo. Fourth of July \o/ I wonder if we'll be anywhere near Christmas when IRL Christmas occurs. Although they call it Gyftmas.


	52. Doctor Jalen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red finally goes to the one therapy he's been dreading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the story the doc tells Red is one I read on Reddit. I can't remember the items that were held out, but the user said he avoided them all to go to his dad, who hadn't even thought that *he* was a choice too
> 
> it's so cute
> 
> also, love yourselves today, babes and gentlebabes \o/ take a bubble bath with bubbles as high as your head, down some wine in a bathrobe watching a trashy romcom, go for a run, dress up even if you're just sitting at home!
> 
> Do something for YOU!

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant  
Thursday

“It is very nice to meet you, Red.”

In the background, Red could hear a ticking of a clock. It was distracting. Red was at another therapy session, but it’s the one he wanted to avoid forever…sex therapy. He didn’t know what it was but he didn’t want it! It sounded like it would be scary…but Lax and Mr. Tart had encouraged him to go. So…he did.

The man, a human, had dark skin like Carolyn from his group but his voice sounded really different! BB told him this was an accent, a bit like their fonts. The man was Doctor Jalen and he had on a very nice blue shirt…Red sighed softly, plucking at his own shirt as he nodded. “Nice t’ meet you too…”

The doctor laughed, his hands clapped together in front of him. “You’re very quiet. Do you not want to talk today?”

Red shrugged, but he felt bad too. The doctor didn’t do anything, and he was acting mean! Red puffed up his cheeks, sighing. “I dunno…what do we talk about?”

Jalen smiled at him, leaning forward in his seat. “How do you feel today?”

Oh. It was like Lax’s sessions then? “I’m sleepy. We got new guests!” He squeaked, bouncing in place lightly, careful of jostling the napping baby bones. Jalen laughed, a hand slapping his knee.

“My, that sounds like quite the adventure then!” He smiled, and Red couldn’t help smiling back, albeit nervously. Jalen nodded, his knee bouncing lightly as he shifted, both hands clapped in front of him again. “Do you know what I do, Red?”

Red pouted. “Noooo…but I know what sex is…” he blushed. “…I don’t think I like it.”

Jalen nodded, his hands cupping together to point outwards with his thumbs. “That’s perfectly alright, Red. What I do is, sometimes, people find themselves…in a rut. They want to get back with a loved one, or they want to feel what they once felt, and I help them break through what’s wrong.”

Red shrugged. “…but that’s not me.”

Jalen nodded, his hands gesturing again. “No. It’s not. However, a major step in this type of therapy, is finding your self-confidence, or as I call it, ‘self-love’.” Red frowned, tugging lightly at his shirt.

“But…I love me! I think. And Boss!”

Jalen laughed, sitting up straighter. “I am sure your baby loves you too, Red. But, tell me this. Have you looked in the mirror and thought ‘I do look nice today’? Have you taken a shower and laughed when you pour bubbles all over you and felt happy to see your own body?”

Red hesitated, shaking his head. Not really. He looked in the mirror to see Boss, and he took a bath since it hurt to stand up for so long…but he averted his eyes from himself, his hands twitching away if they touched a sensitive part or somewhere _he_ touched. Jalen nodded.

“That is what I aim to help you with, Red.” He clapped his hands together again, and Red found the noise funny in a way. “Might I tell you a story that would perhaps explain it a bit better?” Oooh! Story! Red nodded quickly sitting up happily. Jalen smiled. “Wonderful. There was once a man who had a young child. In this man’s culture, they once used to lay out trinkets in front of the infants, and what they chose would be their path in life, or rather, what they would consider most important.

“However, that tradition was not something that was as prevalent in the young boy’s age. But the father thought it would be interesting to see.” Jalen would move his hands as he talked, and Red was entranced. He was _so cool_.

“So, he takes some paper money, a block, a stuffed toy, ah and I believe a small microphone toy. Wealth, a builder, a family man, and politics, is what he saw.

“He lays them out in front of him, sat down and put his young son on the other side facing him. The young boy looked through the trinkets, sitting there, looking confused. The father thinks ‘perhaps this is foolish, was just something fun’ and then. Do you know what the little boy did?”

Red shook his head, squeaking, “What??”

“The young boy started to crawl forward. Intrigued, the father sat perfectly still. The boy passed the money, and the father felt no ill-will towards it. There was more to life than Wealth. He passed the block, to which the father was slightly disappointed but proud of whatever his son would choose. He passed the toy, and his father understood that not all were meant to marry and have children.

“The boy passed the microphone, and climbed into his father’s lap, smiling and reaching up for him. The father never guessed that he would be a choice for the little boy.”

Red gasped, swinging his legs lightly. “Awww! That’s sweet!”

Jalen nodded. “But do you understand what I’m getting at?” Red quickly shook his head. “It is much like all of us. We ponder what to get our friends, what to do for others, in fact what would please us in a moment. Very rarely do we pause and say ‘perhaps I shall choose me today’.” Red blinked, tilting his head.

“What does that mean?”

“When you choose ‘you’, it is like…pampering yourself. Being nice, giving yourself compliments. Being kind to you and your body.” Jalen clapped again, smiling. “I know that it is scary. You feel fear of it, don’t you?”

Red hesitated, his leg swinging lightly. He wasn’t afraid of himself…was he? “I don’t…know.”

“That’s perfectly alright, Red. I do, however, believe you would benefit from a few exercises.” 

Red looked uncomfortable for a moment. “It won’t be anything…weird will it?”

Jalen laughed, clapping his hands on his knees as he stood up. “Not at all! Let me get the book…”

————————————————————————————————————————————

Red had informed BB he’d be in his room for his ‘hour’, so he wouldn’t worry. BB nodded, patting his shoulder, and shooing a hovering Fell away and towards Edge instead.

Red had shucked off his clothes, sitting cross-legged on a plush pillow so he could get up easier in front of the mirror. He stared at himself for a moment, his eyes twitching away when they started to move down, feeling a pinch of fear.

…maybe the doctor was right.

Red cleared his throat, shifting a bit. He lifted his hand a bit, and touched his cheek. It said to touch ‘everywhere’ on his body, except for a few certain places. Red slid his hand down, curling around his neck and he breathed softly. Thank goodness Boss had drifted back to sleep, Red wasn’t sure he could concentrate with the baby kicking.

His hand slid down to his shoulder, on the opposing side. It felt…okay. Nothing…big. He slid his hand down his arm slowly, rubbing at his elbow with a frown. Maybe he should have started with his legs…

He moved his hands to his feet, giggling at the ticklish feeling. He slid them up, jerking when he touched his ankle (where the chain had been, where he’d been tethered to an empty house and a horrible person). Red’s hands shook a bit. Okay. It was okay.

He slid his hands up slowly, although now his leg felt…odd. He patted his knees, shrugging. When he slipped his hands up to his thighs, then his hips, he had to nearly dig his fingers in to stop himself from flinching. It felt…it felt odd, it felt creepy, he didn’t like it…

Red let out a breath, bringing his hands up to cup his belly with a small smile. His baby, all curled up, small hand clenching every so often. Red wished he could bend down to kiss where the tiny head lay but he couldn’t. He perked up, kissing his fingertips then circling them over the top of his belly. “Love you~~”

Of course, Boss was too little to respond, but he felt the pulse of warm happy magic in return. 

Red put his hands on his knees, taking a breath before grinning brightly at the mirror. “You look nice today!” he chirped…he felt a little silly at it, but also warm in his soul.

He wasn’t so sure he liked these exercises.

(He does it when he goes to bed, as Doctor Jalen had written down. He stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, and said ‘goodnight’, and then again when he was in his room, tacking on a ‘love you!’ at the end. It felt strange coming from himself, to himself. He felt a little anxious, his soul thrumming away in his chest…but he curled his legs up lightly, and he sighs as he feels the blankets brush against bare legs.

He is not there.

_He_ is not here.

And it is unfair the _he_ keeps weighing on Red’s mind when he’s alone. Jalen tells him to imagine every good word a chip at the menacing figure deep in his mind, and in time, it would shatter.

Tonight, a pinkie falls off Gaster’s image…and Red feels a little bad for feeling a malicious glee at it.

But not too much.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red didn't want to go because he didn't want to acknowledge that he's *not* over what Gaster did, at all. He's happy, sure, but there are thoughts and touches that make him remember the doctor standing above him as he's tied down
> 
> Red doesn't like it. And he pretends it doesn't happen.
> 
> Jalen is...forcing him, in a manner, to face the monster in his mind and be able to move on and heal (definitely not forgive, fuck that lmao)
> 
> Fireworks next \o/ and something fun!!!


	53. Fourth of July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for fireworks! Story wise and literally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may be a little confusing, but this is definitely what I was aiming for with Red and Edge.

July, Red is twenty-one weeks pregnant

“Ya scare me sometimes, kid.”

Edge and Red were outside in the backyard. Red sat on the edge of the wooden porch, Edge next to him, both of them swinging their legs. Red had cuddled up to Edge, hugging his arm. “Hmmm? How so?”

Edge grunted, looking down at Red who yawned, rubbing at his eye socket. They had gotten up early since everyone was going to make something for this Fourth of July thing, and Red wanted to spend time with Edge for a little. “Thinkin’ about being an experiment kinda rubs a guy wrong.” Red shrugged, smiling happily at him.

Because when they touched, it wasn’t just a nice burst of magic for Red, or a draw on Edge’s energy.

Their memories were mirrored.

It only lasted a minute. It wasn’t permanent. But it was like reliving a whole new life in an instant.

And, of course, they had different ways of dealing with it.

Red immediately felt like he knew Fell all his life, and found him adorable in a way an older sister, or a parent, would find him. He felt the heat of Hotland, the cold of Snowdin, the drips of water from Waterfall as they hid in small caves. The fear of a golden hallway. The small, so very small, hope as he tumbled through a portal into a new world.

Edge went through a roller coaster. His soul was stolen by the little baby Red had, and for some reason he felt like he was missing something until he realized _he_ wasn’t the one that was pregnant. He felt the pain of the lab, the boredom of the very white house, the panic in trying to impress the doctor enough to maybe someday smile at him…and then the fear that was ripped into him along with the pain. (And the fierce sharp anger that Edge hadn’t known Red had ever felt.)

They didn’t talk about it, at first. They had to sort it all out, of course.

Until they did, finally, sitting down alone, Red whispering to him with wide eyes. Red wouldn’t admit to any of the memories Edge had, and Edge reluctantly agreed to some that Red held. When Red held onto his arm, it didn’t happen again. It was so weird.

Fell followed them around like a lost duck, and they both found him amusing and sweet. It was like having a twin, in a very odd and personal way.

For now they had managed to convince Fell to go and assist in packing up the food, and Red happily sat down with Edge on the porch, cuddling up. Boss was happy to be quite literally surrounded by his mama, curling up close when Edge’s hand nudged against Red’s belly lightly. Edge let out a huff. “Brat.”

Red whined. “Our brat!”

Edge flushed, looking away. “Yeah, whatever.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “This is weird, ain’t it?”

Red shrugged. “I dunno. Everything’s weird to me.”

Edge nodded, frowning as they looked out into the yard. “Yeah…” Red perked up, squeaking.

“You should go to therapy! It’s been great! It’ll help! …maybe!”

Edge scowled, shaking his head. “No way, Red I ain’t l-…I don’t do all that,” he grumbled, letting Red lean on him again.

“Pleeease? Lax says we always need someone to talk to!”

Edge sighed sharply, tilting his head back as the sun rose slowly. “…I’ll think about it.”

“Yay!” Red cheered, swinging his legs faster. “Do you think they’ll have games at the park? I’ll show you and Fell how to play!” He squeaked and Edge chuckled, patting the hand on his arm.

“Yeah kid, that’d be sweet.”

Edge’s foot hooked around Red’s foot and they swung them lightly. It felt like being the same person, but split into two bodies. Like trying to remember how to be them again. Red took to it easily, because he had never felt truly in his own skin. Edge was slowly getting used to it, like letting ice melt in the sun. For now, they relaxed, Red chattering Edge’s ear off about all the fun they’d have.

————————————————————————————————————

“Elliot Elliot Elliot!!!!”

Elliot got out of his little car, slamming the door twice again before he waved at an energetic Red, who was being held back from rushing across the road by Edge. Elliot chuckled, heading over to the park. “Hey! How was it this morning?”

Red immediately gave him a hug, squeaking. “I ate watermelon!”

“Watermelon is the best.” Red nodded with wide eyes, before being distracted by Edge to go and get the picnic blankets. Elliot chuckled as he was released, looking around. Elliot just had on a shirt with the flag on it and some cargo shorts.

It seemed everyone had brought some food, monsters that he didn’t know, actually. There were two goat monsters closer to the hill-and was that Frisk? There was a group of kids playing off to the side, several families setting up. Elliot smiled, noticing a fire monster at the barbecue with Sans. He headed over, waving as Sans waved a hand. “Hey, you all got here early.”

Sans shrugged. “Heh, they all get fired up about fire-works.” He let out that odd chuckle he had, and the fire monster-wearing a tux? And glasses?-let out a puff of smoke as a sigh. “Oh c’mon Grillz, that’s like, my best pun today.” Grillby just shook his head, pressing his glasses up with the palm of his hand before nodding at Elliot. 

“Hello.”

“Hi um, I’m Elliot. I’d shake your hand but you’re…busy,” Elliot finished lamely. And on fire, but that was pretty obvious. Grillby tilted his head, staring at Elliot.

“You look. Familiar.”

Elliot frowned, shrugging as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not the most memorable person…but yeah I think I know you too?”

Sans looked between them, his grin growing a bit. “I’m sure I saw one of BB’s movies start out like this,” he snorted as he dodged Grillby’s spatula. 

“Ah. My niece,” Grillby murmured, sounding like crackling embers at the end of a fire’s life. Elliot nearly slapped himself. 

“That’s right! I remember now!”

Sans nicked a small piece of sausage, eagerly eating away. “Wazzat?”

Grillby looked down at him with a disappointed look before going back to the food. “Fuku. When she. Lava’d her arm.” Sans let out an ‘ah’ and nodded, and Elliot winced.

“Is uh, that what it’s called?” he laughed nervously. Grillby pointed off to the side, where the group of kids seemed to have spotted Red and were making a dash for him, a green fire girl nearly toppling over him in a hug. 

“Her. She was. Very reckless last month. Made her stay off Undernet.”

Sans whistled lowly, tutting. “Ooff, Grillz, you know that’s a teen’s world, haha. That was her punishment?” Grillby nodded seriously, prodding the sausages to turn. 

“Wait, what happened?”

————————————————————————————

After an entire round of apologies-even for Red even though he didn’t really do anything, they were all friends once more. Well, not that they hadn’t been friends, but Red was afraid they wouldn’t want to be after everything was said and done. Edge and Fell grumbled at them but they were still kids at heart and Demeria managed to draw them in with tales of her skateboard.

Fuku eagerly helped Red to go and get a snack, chatting away as her flames flickered brightly, pausing as they made it besides the small group of adults. “Hey, I know you!” She pointed at Elliot, the other teens coming up behind her.

Elliot blinked, then nodded. “Right, yeah! We were just talking about that, actually.”

Red squeaked, tugging on Fuku’s arm. “You know Elliot??”

“Yeah! One time I got water poured on my arm so I had to go to the hospital and he visited!” She pulled up her sleeve, showing a small space where the flames were just the tiniest bit brighter. “No cool scar though.”

The other teens ‘ooh’ed over it, badgering Fuku to tell the story as Elliot chuckled, turning back to Grillby and Sans. “Yeah that was pretty terrifying to uh, see.”

Grillby nodded, starting to put all the sausages on a plate. “Yes. You see. Water is…merely annoying. Mist.” Grillby flicked his hand, a small bit of steam climbing from his fingers. Elliot nodded, watching him. “In small quantities. Fuku is young. And it was a pitcher. When she was bumped into.” 

Elliot grimaced. “Yeah it looked rough.”

“I coulda pulled it off!” Fuku chirped cheerfully. Grillby winced as Elliot laughed.

“That so? Why didn’t you do it earlier then?”

“Got spooked. Uncle Grillby’s a wimp, so he couldn’t do it.” Fuku laughed as Grillby lit up, wagging the spatula at her.

“Children. Go and. Round up the others. Shoo on now.”

The kids laughed, and Kip easily carried Red away as they spread out (despite Fell’s griping that HE could do it). Elliot and Sans snickered, grinning at Grillby. “Aw Grillz, I thought ya were a…firey guy.”

“Sans. I will. Take your ketchup.”

Elliot wheezed as Sans gasped, a hand over his…soul? “All these years of friendship. Can’t believe ya.”

Sans shook his head sadly as Elliot cleared his throat, still letting out a small laugh. “S-So you just, didn’t feel safe removing it then?”

Grillby watched him a moment, and slowly the fire making up his head turned whiter and whiter. “I was. Startled. And I do not. Like…touching lava.” He grimaced. If Elliot equated it to a giant scab, then he could see why Grillby was so squeamish about it. Elliot nodded, quickly taking a plate as the others started to converge.

It was nice, it was like a giant family reunion, everyone knew everyone and asked about each other. Elliot felt a little nervous, especially when Miss Toriel called him ‘my child’, but it was a great time. They ate, some of them on the blankets, others on the tables. Edge helped Red to sit on the blanket nearby with the pillow from his bed so he could lean back while sitting up. Fell was on his other side, crossed legs as he started telling MK about how amazing he was and he could totally take Undyne. MK looked star struck.

Somehow Elliot wound up with talking to Grillby. Elliot wasn’t much of a cook, but he did love a good burger, which seemed to be Grillby’s specialty. Sans kept making puns until Papyrus picked him up bodily and took him away, fussing at him for ‘ATROCIOUS PUNNERY!’. Sans let out that ‘hehehehehehe’ while dangling from Papyrus’ arm.

Elliot rolled his eyes, shaking his head. They were just plain funny sometimes.

Night fell slowly, although their little part of the park was lit up from the two fire elementals. They all took their places to watch the sky, Elliot settling on a picnic table that Grillby sat across from him. Fuku came over a few times to grab a snack for Red, waving at them both before rushing away.

She really was a sweet kid.

Elliot was distracted by the two ‘Swapfell’ brothers, as he was told. Cinnamon was stretched out on the blanket, and BB sat stiffly beside him. But they were both wearing very fluffy earmuffs. Elliot frowned, looking over at Grillby. “Are they…cold?”

Grillby looked over, then shook his head, pointing out that Blue was helping Red and the other two to wear some. “We were. Underground for a long time. Bright lights, loud noises. Didn’t happen.” He put his hand down, picking a grape up to eat. “Some monsters. Never got used to it. They want to enjoy. But.” Grillby shrugged. Elliot nodded slowly.

“I understand, yeah. Did uh, you…get used to it?”

Grillby flickered for a moment, staring up at the sky for a while. “You never get used to it.” He murmured, then he proceeded to drink something in a cup that looked like soot.

—————————————————————————————————————

The popping and crackling of the fireworks grew louder as the van door opened, muting as it was shut in a moment. BB patted Red’s foot as he passed by, settling in the back with Cinnamon who had his phone, playing some match game as he whistled. Red was tucked up on the bench seat, his head against Edge’s leg as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. The bright lights had sent him into a panic, and he wasn’t sure why. They sure were pretty.

Fell was just behind them, mimicking Edge from before as he leaned over the back of it, his hand dangling and letting Red hug onto him tightly.

The little family had shown them videos of fireworks, and Fell found them AMAZING and TERROR-INCITING.

The three just didn’t expect it to be _so much more_.

Stretch took them back to the van, and he was in the driver’s seat, feet propped up on the wheel. When Fell muttered something about him going back, Stretch just shrugged, taking out a sucker to chew on. “They’re more bro’s thing,” he mumbled, even as he kept rubbing at his left ear hole.

Elliot helped them pack up all the blankets and Red’s pillow. Grillby seemed to be sparking from all the ash in the air, and Fuku’s flames seemed to be wavering like a fire in a whirlwind. Elliot grunted as he shut the picnic basket, locking it tight as he huffed. “Alright, done. Uh…hope next year’s better,” he nodded over at the van. Sans shrugged.

“If it ain’t it ain’t. No reason in forcing ‘em for something that only happens once a year.”

Sans had a point. Elliot nodded, sighing as he stretched before flopping his hands down, putting them on his hips.

“I’ll come over on Monday, I’ve got something to review this weekend, but ah, I think it’s good stuff.”

Sans gave a thumbs up, holding up the basket as Papyrus rushed by, easily taking it from Sans’ hands. “Neat. See ya then. Oh. Wait.” Sans hopped down off the bench as Elliot watched amusedly. Sans pulled out a piece of paper, giving it to Elliot. He raised an eyebrow, looking at it.

“Uh. I have your phone number…?”

“Nah. ‘S Grillz.” Sans grinned wider, almost breaking his face. “Thought you could…talk more about burgers.” 

Elliot had the faint feeling that Sans was teasing him. He snorted, rolling his eyes, but putting it in his pocket all the same. “Ha. Ha. He’s a nice guy!”

“I know. ‘S why I’m the perfect wingman.” Sans puffed up, one hand on his chest as if holding onto a coat. Elliot grinned.

“So you’re just winging it then?”

He’s pretty sure the groans from Papyrus and Blue nearly drowned out Sans’ laughter, but it was worth it. They all packed up, Red hugging Elliot with a sad face and mumbling that he really wanted to see it. Elliot just patted his back, reminding him that he got to see his friends, and it perked the poor sad skeleton up.

Elliot got in his car, putting the…snail pie in his passenger seat. She wasn’t serious about that. Right? He’d find out soon enough. 

…he dug out the paper in his pocket, staring at it for a moment.

Would Grillby be offended if he named him ‘FireMan’ in his phone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya ever wake up from an intense dream, that you were sure was SO REAL, and the idea of your REAL life is so jarring that it scares you? Coming from a dreamworld where you lead a group of winged humans into battle into your bedroom with your cat purring at your feet...it's a weird feeling.
> 
> Stretch doesn't like them just for the fact they hurt his ears. Unlike the others, it's not the bright lights and the small rumble of earth that gets him. The sound gives him a migraine. 
> 
> Cinnamon and BB don't talk about it.
> 
> Edge and Fell were NOT prepared for irl fireworks. And Red got the unfortunate ability to feel his own surprise and poor baby Boss' fear at the sudden loud noises. So double trouble!
> 
> (telling someone they grill a burger 'just perfect' is flirting right? Right?)


	54. Sparklers, Stretching, and Silent Treatment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge and Red's talk is...not good. Maybe.
> 
> Red doesn't feel well. And things are happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys I had like the worst stomach bug yesterday bleeeeehhhhhh

July, Red is twenty-one/twenty-two weeks pregnant

Edge watched the sparkling end of the long stick Blue had pushed into his hands. He twirled it through the air, watching the fire arc through and leave behind a faint image. They had gotten home and bustled into the backyard, where Papyrus and Blue popped little fire crackers and lit up sparklers. Red leaned on Edge happily, one leg propped up on the edge of the porch, wiggling his own sparkler through the air.

Edge watched the burst of fire for a moment, a few of the others laughing in the background…

_”If something happens, could you take care of Bossy?”_

_Red stared up at him with wide eyes from where they laid on the couch. Edge leaned back against the armrest, and Red leaned onto him, looking up at him like a kid hanging onto someone’s coat. Edge scowled. “Huh? What would happen?”_

_“…I dunno.”_

_“Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen, so don’t talk like that,” Edge grumbled, but he couldn’t take his eyes away from Red, who continued to stare at him._

_“What if I’m a bad mama?”_

_“Ya ain’t, fuck, why are ya thinkin’ all of this.”_

_Red blinked. “I dunno.”_

_But Edge knew. And he knew that Red knew exactly why he was so nervous and questioning himself. Edge sighed roughly, squeezing an arm around Red tightly. “It’ll be alright, yeah? Ya blew it all up, don’t think he’s smart enough ta make another.”_

_Red didn’t say anything, just cuddling up closer, his hand clutching at Red’s jacket, nodding. “Kay.”_

_Edge sighed. “If he does, we’ll kill ‘im.” Red tensed up, nodding again as he ducked his head, curling up closer. “Yeah, I know.” Because that was part of the whole thing, wasn’t it? Red didn’t care for Gaster, he certainly didn’t love him, but there was a part of him that was used to him. Even if he wasn’t ‘here’, Red knew he existed still. The thought of Gaster dying…it terrified him, his mind racing to when he lived there, how he’d be alone and chained to an empty house with no one to know, how he’d eventually run out of food and the ever encroaching silence looming in on him._

_Even though none of that would-or could-happen now, it was still an intense fear._

_Edge sighed, hugging Red close as his head rested on top of Red’s. “…think he’ll be like Fell as a baby? Since they’re each other and all,” he mumbled._

_Red giggled, happy to change topics. “I hope so! He’s such a good boy! I know it was because you helped raise him!” Red grinned up at him, and Edge sputtered, looking away._

_“…sure, whatever…” Red hugged him with a laugh, and Edge relaxed into the hug after a minute._

_“…thanks, kid.”_

“Eeedge, you want a popsicle?”

Edge blinked, a blue popsicle waving in front of his face, Red beaming at him from the side. He took it slowly, smiling. “Thanks, kid. What’d you get?” Red squeaked, holding up a yellow one. He’d been craving banana flavors lately. Edge just stuck his tongue out, before taking a bite of the blue.

It tasted like a Summer day coming to an end.

——————————————————————————————

“Oh!”

Red paused in his slow stretching. His Momma’s group said he should start stretching out more, as it would make him feel a little better, and give him something to do. He tended to do it outside, tilting back and forth like a slow bobblehead. Sometimes Fell would come out and cheer him on before doing his own very enthusiastic stretches. Edge came by as well, but he normally sat and watched, amused whenever Red would take a small walk and pass by him.

Today no one was out, yet, but he felt something. One leg was stretched out to the side a bit, his arms stretched out and tilted the opposing way. Maybe…it was that? He slowly straightened up, swaying in place as he peeked down, pulling up his tank top just a bit. Boss seemed to have twisted himself in an interesting position, his hands gripping his own tiny foot tightly. Red wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not, but it sure seemed like he was. How cute!

Oh, there was that weird…pinch again. He winced, looking down at the ground. Did he touch a sticker burr??? Stretch said sometimes they came up so he’d have to wait for someone to mow, but there was none out yet.

He winced again, rocking on his feet. It didn’t hurt that bad, really, but it was weird, and unusual, and he didn’t like it.

…maybe it was because he was so tense! That made sense. 

He continued to stretch very slow now, but even after he was done-and Blue had popped out with a glass of ice water for him-he still felt the twinging in his belly. Blue saw his confused look as he took a drink. “YOU OKAY?”

“Mm. My belly feels weird.”

“OH. UM. HMM. IS IT THE BABY KICKING?” 

Red shook his head. “No, that feels funny. This just um, pinches? Kind of? It doesn’t hurt too much.” He shrugged. Blue shrugged as well.

“WEIRD. LET’S GO INSIDE, MAYBE YOU’RE JUST OVERHEATED?”

Red nodded, climbing up the steps with Blue’s help as they went in. After he chugged the glass of water, and settled in his glider, the little pinches disappeared. Which was good since he really didn’t like it, even if it didn’t seem to affect Boss. BB had checked in on him, but Red just told him it went away, so they figured it was just him being out too long in the sun.

Elliot came by the next day, while Red had went to his therapy session for the morning. He had a folder in his hands, and grinned at Blue when he opened the door. “Heya. Red off?”

“YEAH, HE WAS EXCITED TO GO AND TELL HER ALL ABOUT THE FIREWORKS,” Blue laughed, letting Elliot in and speeding off to get whoever was still in the house.

Elliot laid out the folder on the island, hopping up on the stool as BB-surprisingly-and Papyrus appeared. Elliot chuckled. “Stretch take them?”

Papyrus quickly nodded, taking a seat. “YES, RED WANTED TO RIDE IN THE VAN AGAIN! HE LIKES IT.”

“MORE LIKE BOSSY LIKES IT, HE FALLS ASLEEP!” Blue chirped and Elliot snickered.

“A friend of mine’s baby was like that. It ended up she had to drive him around to get him to nap.”

Blue laughed. “AWW…SO WHAT’S THAT?”

Elliot nodded, pulling out a few papers. “The guardianship stuff, it all went through pretty easily, thankfully.”

“OH GOODIE!” Papyrus clapped, pausing. “…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?”

Elliot chuckled. “It’s just all legality stuff remember? But I’d keep these in a safe spot.” He packed the papers back in, handing them off to BB. “I think they’re wrapping things up, they just want an…impartial agent to interview Red soon.”

BB didn’t even look up from the papers he flipped through, “THE LAST ‘IMPARTIAL’ HUMAN TERRIFIED HIM SO BAD HE HAD A BREAKDOWN, SO FORGIVE ME FOR NOT TRUSTING IT.”

…Yeowch. Fucking Cassidy. Elliot winced, and Papyrus and Blue looked a bit bashful-it was obvious they were with BB, but they were too nice to say it like…that. “I can certainly agree. But it’s just something we have to do. None of us can go in the room with them.”

Papyrus and Blue seemed to look between them like a ping pong match as BB looked up, flicking a page. “HM. I’LL TELL HIM TO BITE THEN, SINCE THERE MAY BE NOTHING WITHIN THROWING DISTANCE.” His gaze returned to the pages, although Elliot wasn’t sure if he was actually reading them or scanning for…something. “THEN THEY’LL BE OUT OF OUR HAIR, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING. NOT YOU,” he responded as Elliot opened his mouth. “YOU’RE FINE.”

Well. That was. That then. Elliot cleared his throat. “He can’t just bite them, BB-”

“WELL THEY ‘CAN’T JUST’ MAKE HIM A BAWLING MESS, AND SINCE HE CAN’T EVEN FIGHT,” BB scowled at him, “IT’S THAT OR SOMETHING SHARP, AND I’M NOT ABOVE GIVING HIM A KNIFE.”

…BB was terrifying, honestly, but Elliot knew that. Blue had a nervous grin on his face and Papyrus kept wringing his hands as Elliot sighed. “I’ll…see what I can do, I’m not sure what though.”

BB ignored him, turning back to the pages. “HM.”

That could’ve gone better. Way, way better. But it didn’t. Elliot sighed. “I’m sorry, it’s not my rules. That’s…about it though.”

BB got up, heading out to go put the papers away and Papyrus nervously jumped up and declared he was making lunch. Blue invited Elliot to stay, which Elliot agreed even as they both looked nervous. Honestly…he couldn’t blame them. That was a horrible thing to have gone through, especially considering everything Red had went through. He got up to help Papyrus pull out plates, and Papyrus smiled at him nervously. “BB ISN’T ALL BAD…HE JUST HOLDS GRUDGES VERY…WELL,” he laughed softly.

Elliot snorted. “I don’t blame him, at least in this instance.”

Papyrus nodded, then clapped his hand on Elliot’s shoulder. “HE IS ALSO JUST UPSET BECAUSE AS A FELLOW ONCE ROYAL GUARD, HE KNOWS HOW ONE IS OFTEN TANGLED UP IN RULES THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE ENFORCING!”

Elliot…did not consider that. He nodded almost dumbly in the face of Papyrus’ sparkling smile, and then they were busy making some chicken enchiladas for when everyone came back.

Red seemed in good spirits when he came back, happily attaching onto Elliot and chattering about all the stuff his baby would do that week, according to his little stack of papers. Elliot nodded along, Edge grunting at him but not saying anything as he passed. Fell glared, although it seemed more of a pout??

BB told him, in a very clipped and sharp tone, that Red was available on Wednesday, or that Friday, but that was it. He walked away before Elliot could respond and he sighed, smiling at Sans who had shuffled into view. “Eh. Don’t take it ta heart. Just ah, I’d be careful if he ever finds out who it was,” he chuckled and Elliot laughed nervously.

“Yeah…I’ll um, call, okay?”

Sans gave a thumbs up with a cheeky wink, and that was that.

Shit.

This did not bode well, and BB was right. If something went wrong, then Red would break down again, and…what did Frisk say? International incident?

Elliot sighed, thumping his head against the steering wheel in his car. There was literally nothing they could do, since he’d fought this battle before, and lost several times.

…wait.

…wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Elliot raised his head up, his eyes growing wide as he thought for a moment, then pulled his phone out clumsily, nearly dropping it.

He had an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> =)
> 
> I'm mean. But also. I wonder what Elliot has in mind...
> 
> and yeah okay BB's being a bit of a jerk but like
> 
> *this is his baby how dare*


	55. Interlude: The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans really is the all time best wingman, ay?
> 
> Look. Grillby. Has spent a long time alone. Ish. He's down to bond with someone even if things don't turn out well
> 
> (new OTP, new OTP!!!)

It was hard figuring out a date with a literal flame entity. Couldn’t go to the movies, he’d light up the whole place. Swimming was, for obvious reasons, out as well. Picnics would be nice, but as said flame entity spent his entire day/life cooking, that seemed a little…much.

Elliot had suggested something called a ‘sip and sit’, where they drank a little while painting whatever they wanted. Grillby of course had only drawn with charcoal, so this whole ‘painting’ thing was new. Elliot had brought over a small video of someone named Bob Ross, and several little tubes of paint and brushes.

Grillby’s home was…fairly interesting. It had an L shaped living room with a sliding door that led out into a sunroom of sorts. There was a pile of wood in the middle near a tree, where some sunlight hit it every so often. (The kitchen was of course magnificent, Elliot wouldn’t have doubted that.) 

Elliot came dressed in a simple green polo with his sleeves rolled up and a pair of old jeans. Grillby…still had that tuxedo type of suit on. Interesting. Then again, Elliot couldn’t really imagine him in anything else…

They set up the small easels in the sunroom, and Elliot looked over at the door as Grillby opened the laptop Elliot had brought in. “Where’s ah…Fuku?”

“At her. Girlfriend’s. They are. Going rollerskating…” His flames flickered as he stood back up, dragging two stools in front of the easels. Elliot nodded, settling on his own and picking up the little paint tray as the episode started.

“That’s cute of them. So…never painted, huh?”

Grillby shook his head, curiously poking the bristles of his brush into the yellow paint. “No. A little like. Water. Was never. A need.” He sighed, watching the brush smear down the canvas as Elliot nodded, stroking his own brush with red.

“I can see that. What ah, do you do in your off time?”

Grillby’s flames flickered again. “Make sure…Fuku does her. Homework. Count supplies. Sometimes…visit Sans.” 

Elliot nodded, painting a small little tree as the video went on. “That’s right, you two are close friends, yeah?”

“I saw him. Grow up.”

“Awww,” Elliot grinned, pointing the brush at Grillby. “Like a son to you then? Well. Him and Papyrus.”

Grillby flickered before nodding slowly, dabbing little bits of green on the canvas. “Yes. They used to…play with Fuku. As children.”

Elliot paused, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought for a moment. “…they’re not that much older than her, surely?”

“Fire monsters…age only with…fuel,” Grillby nodded at the pile of wood that Elliot now saw was singed. “Fuku…was born. At the beginning of the war. But as we. Held no fuel for her…it was a trying time.”

Elliot winced, biting his lip for a moment. “So fuel is…different than monster food.”

“Yes. For us.” Grillby made a slow arch of purple, and Elliot faintly wondered how he was cleaning the paint in between. “The Underground. Slowly got better…and she was able to grow…I’m quite happy,” his flames lit up, sparking at the ends. “I was…worried, she was so.Small.”

“What…happened to her parents?”

“Dust,” Grillby mumbled, and then he dropped it there. Elliot let him, the curiosity of knowing the story being outweighed by not making things any more awkward. Grillby turned to him, the blank glasses staring at Elliot. “What. Do you do?”

Elliot perked up, grinning. “Ah, I go and visit my own niece sometimes. It may surprise you, but I like to box.”

Grillby’s flames flicked as he tilted his head. “Box?”

Elliot flushed, laughing as he smeared a small bit of brown for the ground. “Yeah, boxing. It’s two people with gloves and they pretty much beat each other up. I don’t fight with others though. I use a punching bag.”

Grillby let out a puff of smoke. “And yet. Undyne. Was able to. Throw you.”

Elliot stuttered, huffing as he felt his face heat up. “She surprised me!”

“I’m sure.” 

They both started laughing, little puffs of smoke popping off of Grillby, Elliot’s face flushed a dark red as he grinned, the freckles on his cheeks a stark contrast. They trailed off for a moment, pausing as Bob Ross’ voice echoed in his usual soft manner. Eventually they returned back to their paintings, still grinning to themselves.

“You said she works with you sometimes?” 

“Yes. Fuku likes. To go out. With Demeria,” slowly their paintings took on a shape of a small island with a palm tree. “Sometimes. She saves up. For something. Last time…it was. To surprise Demeria. With an autograph.”

Elliot chuckled. “An autograph? From who?”

Grillby shrugged, which made Elliot laugh harder. It was most likely something to do with the skateboarding world. He could remember being young and eager to go to concerts or getting shirts signed by singers and the like. Ah, young love.

They chatted a little more. Grillby asked more about the volunteering he did as an advocate, and Elliot asked more about his restaurant and how he had came to own it. By the time Bob Ross was complimenting their artwork, they had finished with…a few little flicks of paint from when they were gesturing or not paying attention.

Elliot’s looked fair, albeit his palm tree was more a smear and the boat in the background was just a dot. Grillby’s was finer detailed, except it was too light, the paint spread thin over the canvas and giving it an odd dreamy look to it…or like looking through the fog, perhaps.

Either way, they were happy with their results, and Grillby provided Elliot with a very nice sandwich and a drink as they sat to snack a bit. The laptop played a random Youtube video, something about ice skating for some reason or another.

…and then it was over. 

It wasn’t like dates Elliot had been on before. In high school he went to the movies with Tonya and they sat in the dark, too shy to do anything more than let their hands rest near one another on the arm rest of the seat. His first date with Charles ended up being a dud as he listened to the man act a lot like Major Armstrong from FullMetal Alchemist…but not as enticing. More…annoying. Definitely annoying.

Patricia was kind and sweet and they had three dates before realizing they just had different ideas of where they’d like to be in the future. Still, he’ll always remember the sticky feel of her cherry lipgloss on his cheek during a ferris wheel ride, and her laugh at how red his face turned.

But this…

…was easy. Like reuniting with an old friend, an old spark of something that once was and would kindle up into more if they let it.

It was nice. Really, really nice.

Well, until Grillby walked him to the door (which, nice, made Elliot feel all gushed over and such), and Fuku was on the pathway to the car. She stared at them, and Grillby just nodded at her. Elliot gave a nervous wave, and she brought up her phone she had been texting on to take a photo.

“_Awesome_. Red’s _never_ gonna believe me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll I had a dream that Androca, the mermaid from Red's Mama group, introduced her mates which consisted of:
> 
> Alice an OC from a story I was trying to do (Ocean's Heart if you're interested), Antonio who's hair is about as magnificent as you can imagine, and Duboir a yellow ghost monster who when asked by Professor Oak if they were a boy or girl stated 'physical manifestation disgusts me'
> 
> Antonio is the only voice of reason amongst them, I'll have you know.
> 
> Long Live The Quad(TM)
> 
> My computer kept freezing up writing this, it REALLY wanted ya'll to not get the cuteness, dammit
> 
> More will come, in time \o/


	56. We're Off On An Adventure!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Frisk go to a meeting. The Skeleton family prepares for a vacation! Kinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really couldn't find anything for them to really talk about, but then I found out something about 'playgroups' and like. Red would ADORE them!!!!

July, Red is twenty-two weeks pregnant

The interview ended up being something absolutely boring and not even worth worrying about. Maybe that was because Frisk hovered over Red’s shoulder with a soft smile, as if daring the agent to even think of upsetting the smaller skeleton. They asked him about his home, and how he felt about his baby, and how he felt about life in general (a pretty odd question, in Red’s opinion, he loved his life!), and a bunch of odd questions like work(??) and school life.

They did make a few requirements of him, however. 

He had to take his baby for monthly check ups (”of course!” he had chirped. “BB helps me to mine!” His happy smiled had caught the agent off guard for a moment) and he had to attend what was formally called a Playgroup here.

Red gasped, clasping his hands together. “What’s that.”

The agent adjusted her glasses, clearing her throat. “It is for teen parents, such as yourself, to spend time with one another and let their children socialize along with learning various things such as how to identify when your child is getting ill, how to tell if they’re too hot or too cold, so on.”

Frisk stared at her but Red gasped excitedly, clapping his hand on Frisk’s sweetly. “Did you hear! Boss can have friends!” Frisk smiled, gently pulling their hand free.

‘I heard, that sounds incredible, Red.’

Red giggled excitedly, swinging his legs under the chair as the agent went on, eventually giving them a schedule for after Red had the baby. Elliot would also remain with him, albeit the case would be closed. It would only be required until Boss was of school age, depending on what happens down the line.

Red just nodded along, eventually growing bored of the conversation-it didn’t really have much to do with Boss, in a sense-and he started to yawn, huffing. “I gotta go eat,” he nearly whined. The agent tutted but froze when Frisk gave her a smile.

‘I’m sure you know how hard it is to be pregnant and having to sit still and listen to someone talk on and on for a near hour,’ they signed pleasantly. ‘I believe whatever more can be said can be sent in the mail, don’t you?’

After a bit of stuttering, she agreed.

Frisk took Red out for something called an Icee. It was delicious, and he devoured two before he felt full and happily hugged Frisk as they headed back to the house. “This was fun! Kinda. Thank you for coming!”

‘Any time, Red,’ Frisk signed with a smile. It really was pretty easy, thankfully. Then again, they knew no one wanted to kick the dirt and stir up something when everything was going along without any bumps.

Still, they didn’t much appreciate their attitudes concerning Red and his baby. Hm.

Red gave them another hug when they dropped him off back at the skeleton household, promising to send them more pictures of Boss when they went to college. Frisk was very up for that. Baby skeletons were SO CUTE!

—————————————————————————

Red had situated himself on his bed, his cell phone held up with the speaker on as he listened to his friends. Fuku had sent them all the picture of Elliot and Grillby standing at the doorway. “And like, they didn’t kiss or anything! Lame.”

“Mmph.” Kip grunted. He never had much to stay in their group calls. Red giggled, wiggling his feet as he squirmed under his blanket.

“I read in a book that this one couple didn’t kiss for yeeeeaars!” Red squealed and Demeria groaned.

“But Reeeed we ain’t got years! That’s like. Forever! We gotta get them to kiss and then, you know, get married!”

Red tilted his head, tapping at his phone to bring up the Uno game. “Is that what happens after you kiss?”

“YEAH!” MK shouted, his voice bouncing in and out as he seemed to be doing…something. Running around? “Like, dude, you kiss someone. And then! You say ‘let’s get married!’ and that’s it!”

“Nuh-uh!” Fuku squeaked. “There’s a whoooole wedding involved with flowers and rice and dresses,” she sighed softly. “So romantic~”

“And the cake!” Demeria laughed. Red giggled.

“I don’t know a lot about weddings. Or getting married.” He paused, tilting his head. “What happens when you do?”

“Kids,” Kip responded and Demeria cackled.

“Yeah! You have a kid and like, a big ass home, and you gotta go to WORK. Boring! Fuku! We gotta travel before we get married!”

Fuku sputtered over the phone and Red could imagine how her flames sparked brightly. He frowned, pausing his game. “Mmm, but I have a baby? I didn’t get married.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Demeria muttered. “Hmmmm. Are you sure?”

Red nodded even though they couldn’t see him. “Yeah! No rice or dresses…just…” He winced, shaking his head. “Not good stuff.”

“It’s okay,” Fuku said, “you don’t have to say. But um, hm. That’s a good question though. Normally you have to get married? Right? I’ll ask Uncle Grillby!”

Red giggled as they all heard her rushing away yelling ‘Uuuuuncle Griiiillby!’

“MAYBE!” MK yelled over the phone. “Maybe like, you’re seeecret married!”

Red frowned. “But that’s when you like someone. Can you undo it?”

“Oh yeah,” Demeria came back on. “I know how to do it, I saw it on What A Girl Wants. I think.” She sounded confused. “Or they talked about it? Anyway, don’t worry, Red! We’ll get you unmarried so you can get a new person!”

Red giggled, grinning as he wiggled his feet again. “Cool!”

Kip rumbled, “What about the baby?”

“DUH!” MK yelled. “You just gotta get married to have it, duh! He’s already got Boss so he doesn’t gotta stay!”

Yeah that sounded logical.

They all agreed even as Fuku came back, saying that he was busy and couldn’t speak right now. Somehow they started wandering off to another conversation, and then it got way too late to stay one. They all said night, MK yelling night to Boss (”He can TOTALLY HEAR ME!”) and the others ‘fighting’ over getting to say it next, and then it was quiet in Red’s little room. Red smiled, his face burning with a blush at how happy he felt. He leaned over, slipping the phone into his bedside drawer before squirming down into his bed, rubbing a hand over his belly.

“Night night, baby, sleep time~” he hummed. A small pat back had him feeling blissful as he slipped off to sleep, snoring into his pillow.

————————————————————————

“A beach day?”

Elliot had found himself in the middle of a bunch of rushing skeletons. Blue and Papyrus were stocking up food, Stretch and Sans seemed to be getting…towels and umbrellas? Maybe? BB was busy barking out orders and Cinnamon was…

Lazing out on the couch next to Red who was busy trying to blow up his little arm floaties. Freaking. Cute. Edge leaned against the arm of the couch close to Red, blowing up the other one, while Fell was…oh he was outside, stacking things in the van.

Cinnamon gave a thumbs up as Elliot took a seat. “Yeah, we do it near every year, unless storms roll in. Red still can’t go out too deep but no one should in the ocean, ay?”

Elliot chuckled as Red squeaked, letting go of the spout, his cheeks red from breathing so hard. “I’m gonna find shells, Blue said so! And wear my bathing suit!!!”

“Sounds fun, Red,” Elliot laughed. Cinnamon chuckled.

“You gonna come?”

Elliot blinked, laughing a bit nervously. “O-Oh me? It’s a family trip isn’t it? I shouldn’t-”

“WHY NOT?” BB stood there, flicking through something on a clipboard. He sure did love his clipboards, huh? “DO YOU NOT LIKE THE BEACH?”

Elliot shook his head. “It’s not that! Isn’t it just you all? It’d be…what, awkward, or something.”

BB just blinked, then rolled his eyes. “YOU’RE VERY ODD. YOU CAN COME IF YOU LIKE, IT WON’T BOTHER ANY OF US.”

So that’s how Elliot got roped into the trip. Not that he argued about it too much. A beach trip-which was about…an hour away-wasn’t something he normally did but it’d be a nice getaway for a little while. He helped Red and Edge finish blowing up the little floaties, Edge grumbling something but shrugging when Elliot looked at him.

He helped them pack a few various things, leaning to help Edge lift Red out of his glider. Red chattered Edge’s head off about swimming and Edge seemed appeased with it, nodding along with a slightly confused expression. Elliot chuckled. “Does Boss like it when you swim then?”

“Yeah!” Red squeaked, stars in his eyes. “He likes how it rocks. He falls asleep reeaaally fast then!”

“He’s a brat,” Edge teased and Red whined at him, pouting. Elliot just shook his head with a smile, helping them both into Stretch’s van. He felt someone looking at him and he looked over, raising an eyebrow at BB. 

“What?”

“YOU SAID PREVIOUSLY YOU WERE A VOLUNTEER.”

Well that came out of left field. “Uuuuh. Yeah?”

BB squinted. “YOU AREN’T PAID.”

Elliot laughed nervously, raking his hand through his hair. He had no clue what BB was trying to get at. “No, not. Really? I do other things sometimes to uh, work, and stuff, but volunteering is my bigger thing. And I enjoy it!”

BB stared at him, then nodded sharply and turned to go and hurry the others up.

That sure was an enlightening discussion. He really wanted to know what BB was thinking. All the same, he told Red he’d meet them there and Red reached to give him a hug. He’d been in a hugging mood lately, according to the others.

With that, he headed home, got some swimming trunks and a towel, and off he went to the beach at the whim of a skeleton with a clipboard. Eh, he couldn’t complain too much, it’s not like he gave up much of a fight. He got a text halfway into his car, and he pulled out his phone, definitely unprepared for what he read.

‘Do you know if Red is married?? Fuku is saying something about it, and unmarrying him, and I am quite confused.’

…  
…  
_what._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very merry unmarriage, to you , to who?, to me? to you!
> 
> lol. 
> 
> BB's kinda nosy ain't he? Elliot's not prepared for the amount of (s)mothering he's going to receive eventually.
> 
> Squishy human is squish, must protect.
> 
> *Also more Edge/Boss cuteness next chapter, trust me, it is ADORABLE*


	57. BEACH!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's beach time!! Shenanigans!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I talked about my love for Lemony Snicket and the way he write bc I do and there's a quote I wanna use in story one day.
> 
> Also based on a true story: as a kid about 9-12 or so, I went to the beach for the first time and got some neat shells. Mom told me to wash them out so I did in the motel bathroom except there was like, weird small things on them?? And I poked and prodded and tried to pull them out, but it wouldn't work. My mom was like 'what's taking so long' and when I turned my head as she opened the door, nice ol' hermit crab came dangling out of my shell lol
> 
> My stepdad had to go and take ALL my shells back to the beach that night XD I got no shells!!! Unfair. lmao.

July, Red is twenty-two weeks pregnant

“But he’s not, right? He’d tell you?”

Sans shrugged in that way where he held his hands up with a nervous grin. “Uuuuh. Sure? But I highly doubt he is, dude.”

Elliot sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair. They had gotten to the beach in plenty of time, albeit Elliot had been stewing on what Grillby-and Fuku-had informed him of. Albeit, it sounded more like a kids type of thought, but still. If Red was married to this Gaster, then that could cause a big kerfuffle. Sans just shrugged again. “Look, I just don’t feel it’s aaahhh likely? No monster in their right mind woulda married ‘em.”

Elliot huffed. “I mean. Yeah, but then again, this Gaster was already out of his right mind.”

Sans just grunted in response as they looked over at the van. Blue and Papyrus had raced out to choose the ‘best’ spot with towels and a few chairs. BB was busy pointing out which items to get first for Cinnamon, while Edge and Fell helped Red hop out of the van, now dressed in a see-through cover with his bathing suit under it. Stretch headed over to the two with a picnic basket lazily. “Heya.” He had on a tank top with ‘Beach Hunk’ on it and green shorts with flip flops.

“Hey.” Elliot nodded over at Red who was hanging onto the Fell brothers and chattering. “He changed early, huh?”

“Heh, yeah, we realized it might not be a good idea ta introduce him to changing rooms,” Stretch chuckled. “Plus he’s a little top heavy so. He’s good though.”

Elliot nodded as Sans snickered. “Yeah poor guy. Ay, he ain’t married, is he? It’s not in the flavor text.”

Elliot did not ask what that meant as Stretch blinked, his head swiveling to look at Red, then back at the two of them. “Uuuuh. No? Somethin’ up?”

Elliot shrugged. “Grillby texted me that Fuku and the kids were talking about how Red’s married and that they were going to ‘unmarry’ him.”

“…yeah that makes it clearer.”

Sans snorted. “Yeah. I mean, I guess they were thinking about Boss then? Maybe?”

They stood in thought for a minute, Stretch grunting. “Oh. Yeah. That makes sense.” Elliot squinted.

“How so?”

“Like when we were kids, we were confused when like, one neighbor had one kid but another had fifteen.” Stretch shrugged. “We assumed everyone just had two kids and that was it.”

Sans chuckled. “Nice.”

“Ah, I see what you’re getting at,” Elliot laughed. “Learning that dorms at colleges weren’t just a fancy movie trope really shocked me.” They laughed together for a moment before BB shouted at them to stop goofing off and come and help.

Elliot scurried off to change, coming back now in a simple tank top like Stretch-but no words-and blue bathing shorts with his flip flops. It seemed a few of the others had the same idea, although Sans had on a black one-piece with sleeves, and he had already kicked back on the beach towel snoring away. BB had a nice two-piece purple and red patterned swimming suit, Fell had eagerly just worn the swimming shorts so he could show off (”ALL CAN SEE MY AMAZING BONE MUSCLES!” “…are bone muscles a thing?” “nah”) while Edge just wore a shirt and cargo shorts. He didn’t seem really eager to go swimming…or being here really.

Elliot had to smear some sunscreen on, grumbling to himself about the cursed sun, and BB tied a water canteen onto Red who was eagerly bouncing in place. “THERE. DON’T GO TOO FAR, IN THE OCEAN OR ON THE BEACH. PUT THE SHELLS IN HERE.” Red bobbed his head as he happily took the blue bucket with a happy squeal. Edge grumbled but nodded along, flushing when BB fussed over him as well and put a canteen on him. Elliot chuckled, rubbing the sunscreen on his cheek. 

“You alright then, Red?” Red nodded, waving at Elliot from where he was.

“I’ll be back, I promise!” Elliot chuckled.

“Good deal then, I’ll be here.”

Red pulled on Edge’s arm eagerly and Edge stuck his tongue out as he followed. Fell was busy actually in the ocean with Blue and Papyrus, throwing some giant ball around while laughing.

Elliot chuckled, looking over at BB. “Soooo. What are you going to do?”

His answer was to flop into a chair that leaned back, slip on some sunglasses and open up a novel. “RELAX, OF COURSE.”

Ah. Of course.

————————————————————————————

Red weaved between the passing waves easily, digging his toes into the wet sand with a giggle. Edge snatched up a shell, whistling as he turned the shell in his hand. “ ‘Ey, lookie.” Red leaned closer, eyes wide. 

“Oooh that’s pretty, Edge!” He nodded, slipping the shell on top of the others in their bucket. Edge was holding the sandals in his other hand since the sand was much cooler than the rest of the beach. Red pointed at another shell that had swirly pink colors.

“That one!”

Edge snatched it up easily, and they examined it, one of Red’s hands on his belly as he leaned forward. The extra weight didn’t let him lean down as much lately, which was getting worse with time as Boss got bigger and bigger. Edge snorted. “Looks like ice cream.”

“Iiiiice creeeeam,” Red whispered, giggling as Edge laughed, stashing it in their bucket. The waves washed around their ankles again and they kicked through the water a bit, laughing as they scurried down the beach line. They couldn’t go too fast, Red ran out of breath easily now, and he had various aches which meant they had to stop or sit on the sand for a second. 

Edge hummed as they picked up another spiral, twisting it back and forth in his hand. “So how’s the brat?”

Red pouted. “Eeeedge, he’s not a brat!”

“Pfft, if he’s like bro, then he’s a baby brat.”

Red let out a giggle. “Big Bossie! Baby Boss is a baby, not a brat.” Red stuck out his tongue, wrapping his arms around his belly. Edge chuckled.

“Fine fine. How’s baby Boss then?”

“Good good!!” Red squeaked, rubbing a hand over a tiny foot with a giggle. “He’s not big enough yet!! But he looks so big! Cute baby.” He crooned, tugging Edge along as they walked through the foam of the water. “Blue says he’s gonna do a ‘baby shower’ but I dunno if I wanna take a shower with everyone. That’d be weird.”

Edge made a face, nodding. “Yeah that’s super freaky. Hey maybe ya can wear your swimsuit.”

Red perked up. “That sounds fun! Why would we shower anyway?”

Edge shrugged. “Dunno. Didn’t he say?” Red shook his head.

“He just said he was gonna invite eeeveeeryone!” He squeaked, pointing at a small black spiny looking shell. Edge leaned down but flinched away at the sharp poke to his fingers. 

“Too spiny, nah. Eh, who knows. He looks like the kinda guy who throws parties.” He grabbed up something shiny in the foam, making a face. “The fuck is this?”

Red perked up. “That’s a CD! Sans has some with songs!”

Edge flipped the CD in his hands, squinting. “Yeah but what’s it doin’ in the ocean?”

“I dunno. Lost?” They shrugged, tossing it in a little garbage can nearby before turning to travel back. Red hummed. “So if I’m Little Boss’ Mama, then you’re his mommy?”

Edge flushed brightly, sputtering. “Wha-no! I think!”

“Yah huuuuh,” Red stuck his tongue out. “But then what is Big Bossy?” Red mumbled, thinking even as Edge tried to argue about his ‘parental status’ to the baby.

Said baby flipped around, discontent in the continuous movement during his pre-determined naptime, and made his upset known by patting at Red’s belly until they made it back. Red had to lay out on the soft blanket and take a nap thanks to the rambunctious infant.

—————————————————————————————

Elliot had been dragged out into the ocean for some ‘INTENSE VOLLEYBALL FIGHTING’ which consisted of Blue and Papyrus volleying a ball so hard at him and Fell it would rocket under water. Of course, Elliot’s throws weren’t as good but Fell could beat the ball back just as fiercely. Still, it was a great game, definitely gave him some cardio for the rest of the month.

Unfortunately, as usual, his shoulders burned under the sun and he had to tag out, climbing back onto the beach. Sans HAD been napping nearby but somehow he was now buried under sand up to his neck. Still snoring, however. A little awe was required for it. Wait can sand get in their skulls?

That’s not a thought Elliot wanted to ponder on.

So he just shook his head and walked by him, Stretch was in a lawn chair nearby, with giant sunglasses on, seeming too inconspicuous actually. The obvious perpetrator. 

Elliot chuckled, heading to their little spot and plopping down on a towel with a sigh, tilting his head back to look over at BB who hadn’t moved from his book. “YOU LOOK WET.”

“I got massacred at volleyball, I’m surprised I didn’t get knocked out. Where’s Cinnamon?”

BB just flicked a page, snorting. “I SAW THAT. HE WENT TO BUY POPSICLES. IT’S TOO HOT TO REALLY EAT ANYTHING ELSE.” Elliot gave a thumbs up, grunting when he shifted his shoulder a bit. 

“Ouch. Hey why were you asking me about the volunteer stuff earlier?”

“DID YOU HEAR OF BLUE’S IDEA TO THROW SOME BABY SHOWER?” What a change in subject. Elliot snickered.

“I have to take some blame for that. Went to a coworker’s baby shower last week, told him and Stretch about it.”

BB hummed, tapping a finger on his book. “THEN IT’S NOT A LITERAL SHOWER. GOOD, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWKWARD.”

Oh it certainly would have been.

Before Elliot could respond, Edge and Red appeared, laying a blue bucket full of shells next to the towel and Edge helping Red to sink onto the towel to lay down. “Hiiii Elliot,” Red mumbled, plopping his head down on his arms.

Elliot chuckled. “Hey, Red. Tired?”

Red grumbled as Edge plopped on his other side, snorting. “Baby Boss ain’t too happy with tha change in routine, hah. Kickin’ up a fuss.”

“Ouch.” Elliot nodded. Babies were very resistant to change. Er. So he figured. “Well, ah, Cinnamon went for popsicles?”

“Ilikepopsicles,” Red muffled into the towel, shifting a bit and curling his legs up. Edge patted his back flopping back to lay down as well with a grunt. Poor Red.

Like that, Cinnamon appeared as well, holding an armful of popsicles. “Yo. Oh hey, you guys are back,” Cinnamon slipped a long one that was bright white to BB, who took it without looking up to take a bite. Cinnamon passed an orange one to Elliot-oh hell yeah-and gave Edge two yellow ones to help Red eat. He gave a wave before heading out to Sans and Stretch. Red shifted, whining. 

“I waaaant,” he pouted. Edge snickered.

“Hang on, hang on,” He shifted, pulling out a pillow from the basket and helping Red lean on it instead of having to sit up. 

Elliot’s pretty sure he never saw a popsicle be eaten as fast as Red did just now. Was banana flavor really that good? Was Elliot missing out on deliciousness by keeping to orange flavor? …probably not but at least Red seemed satisfied with the whole thing. He perked up pleasantly, although he still rubbed his side a bit from where a small hand was pushing up at him.

From what he could see, Stretch was eating an orange one-a fellow connoisseur-while Sans’ green one was stuck popsicle stick end in the sand in front of his face. He didn’t seem bothered, even though all he could do was lick it.

…he was going to fall asleep there and no one would see him. Actually, Elliot wondered if that happened often with him. Hm. Anyway.

Cinnamon managed to get the three energetic skeletons on shore to at least take a break and eat a little. Fell sprinted over to them, already having eaten half of his purple popsicle. “NYEH! BROTHER, I THOUGHT YOU WERE COLLECTING SHELLS WITH MAMA!”

Edge finished his bite, biting onto the popsicle as he dragged the bucket over. “We did! There’s a fucking lot out there. And a weird CD.”

Red nodded as Elliot looked over. “CD? Probably trash but that’s a weird thing on a beach.”

“Yeah!” Red chirped, digging into the bucket and pulling out the ice cream swirl shell. “Look look! This is my favorite, it looks delicious!”

Fell gave it an appraising look, nodding slowly. “YES, I SUPPOSE. …WHAT’S THAT?” he pointed at the inside, and Red pulled it around curiously. 

“Huh? …looks like string???” Red looked between it and his popsicle, quickly handing it over to Edge who had his hand open patiently. Red wiggled a finger in curiously, poking at it as Elliot tossed his stick in their pile of trash.

“Strings aren’t normally inside a shell. What is it?”

Edge shrugged as Red wiggled his finger inside. “It feels weird…string string string,” he mumbled.

“I mean we could always wash it out at that shower thing,” Edge grunted. “Shoulda done that to begin with.”

“OH!”

They all jumped as Red yanked his hand out of the shell’s opening, an odd creature slipping out with a huge claw and several ‘strings’. Elliot let out a nervous laugh.

“That’s a hermit crab, be careful not to-”

Too late. Red had instinctively poked the strange creature again, and the large claw clamped down on his finger sharply. Red’s eye sockets furrowed, and he tried to shift his hand free, but no go, it had a very tight hold on him. He started to panic a little looking from Elliot to BB. “What do I do?! He won’t leggo!”

Between Fell offering to cut off the poor creature’s claw and Edge’s glaring-and BB’s non-helpful worrying-Elliot managed to use a spritz bottle and make the hermit let go of Red’s finger. With skin one could tell a bruise pretty easily. But on Red’s bony finger, there was a dark red mark in a ring around his finger when the crab let go and he pulled his hand to himself with a whine. “That hurt!”

“He thought you were hurting him,” Elliot soothed, quickly stopping Fell from throwing the shell. “No, just, go put him back in the ocean. Washing out the shells are a good idea though, to make sure no other hermits are in there.”

Red sniffed, now that the crab had let go his finger pulsed in pain as he held it to his chest. “…a-and get ‘em back to their families!”

Elliot chuckled, smiling. “Yeah, and that, Red. Good plan.”

BB ended up being the one to do it. Turns out their fingers were all different sizes?? Weird but also interesting. His were thing and spindly, perfect for goading out any creeping creatures. Sadly, this was over half of the shells they collected, but Red seemed happy to place them back on the sand and watch them scuttle away.

BB sighed, rotating a sand dollar under the faucet. “LIVED HERE FOR YEARS AND NEVER FOUND THESE THINGS, I SWEAR.”

Elliot snickered, ducking his head under the other faucet to wash the salt from his hair, shaking it out quickly like a dog. “A lot of people don’t, actually! Hermits aren’t as common as like. Cats and dogs and birds, or at least, they’re confined in only certain places.” He sighed. “At least we found them before they brought them home?”

BB grunted, dropping the sand dollar in the bucket. “ABSOLUTELY. WE’D BE EITHER OVERRUN, HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER TRIP, OR END UP WITH A HERMIT CRAB FAMILY.”

Elliot let out a laugh, nearly coughing at the sudden snorting. “You wouldn’t be the first! Kids love the hermits. Anyway, enough excitement then?”

BB nodded, picking up the bucket. “YES, SADLY I THINK RED’S GOING TO NEED TO REST FOR A WHILE. BOSS IS CERTAINLY NOT PULLING ANY PUNCHES, IT SEEMS.”

“I mean, I’ve never been pregnant but I would think it’d feel weird all the time.” Elliot shrugged. BB just shook his head in amusement, shooing Elliot out of the shower…er ‘shower’. It was just a faucet with some wood boards, honestly.

Red was certainly grumpy and achy once they got him in the van, but Elliot dug out some hand warmers he had stashed and Red tucked them against his belly, slowly relaxing now that it was easing up. Edge just patted his hand and Fell dug out the shells they had left, happily chatting with Red about them.

Elliot gave a thumbs up to BB. “Alright, all good times, huh? I’ll uh, pop by sometime this week then, or if you need me earlier?”

BB nodded, shutting the van door with a sigh, wrapping the robe towel combo around himself and tying it. “IF SOMETHING ARISES WE’LL CALL YOU OF COURSE. AH WAIT, YES RED’S GOING TO HAVE A SLEEPOVER WITH HIS FRIENDS ON FRIDAY, IF YOU’D LIKE TO MEET THEM.”

Elliot let out a muffled laugh, nodding. “I think so, especially with this whole marriage thing.”

“…WITH THIS WHOLE WHAT?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Red  
*?? ATK (1 ATK after magical maturity, KARMA effect)  
*?? DEF (1-5 DEF after magical maturity, 5 DEF as he grows older)  
*a skeleton who's been through a lot
> 
> CHECK:
> 
> *Red has many polaroids of his baby!  
*You should talk about the baby
> 
> ACT:
> 
> *Hug-"Oh! A hug? Yay! I'm very squishy right now."  
*Talk- "You're new here! Nice to meet you! I'm Red! And this is Boss!"  
*Flirt- "...huh?"
> 
> *Mercy-Spare: "Yay!" (You know you've made the right decision)
> 
> *ATK:
> 
> (You sure you wanna do that, buddy?)
> 
> Also, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Hanukkah! Or any other holiday like the Solstice, or if you celebrate nothing I hope you had a good day :3


	58. SLUMBER PAAAARTY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Unmarriage occurs and then a sleepover!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. Sleepover was needed. Cuddle pile. Edge and Fell are now part of the Teen Gang (TM)
> 
> that is all

July, Red is twenty-two weeks pregnant

“No, put your hands like…” Demeria adjusted Red’s hands, his fingertips touching each other except for his thumbs. They were outside in the backyard, Elliot was their adult supervision as he had wanted to meet Red’s friends more than they had at the fourth of July party. MK was balanced on his tail, bouncing in place, while Kip had dragged the patio chair down the porch onto the ground so Red could sit.

They were already in their pajamas. Fuku’s were a simple green shirt and pant set, Demeria had a purple set. MK just had…whatever he usually wore, Elliot wasn’t sure if he had a sweater or was..um…naked? Kip had on a long sleeve sweater and soft pajama pants with stars on them. Red had a pale pink nightgown with shorts on underneath, since everything he wore tended to ride up nowadays.

Red adjusted his fingers, then held them up. “Like this?”

Demeria nodded, then clapped. “Yeah! I saw it in a movie, it’s gotta work!” Fuku nodded nearby and Red puffed up his cheeks.

“I’m ready!”

“HI-YAH!”

Demeria’s hand came down, slicing between Red’s fingers and pushing them apart easily. “You’re now unmarried!”

“Woohoo!” Fuku cheered, throwing a small cloth with confetti in the air to rain down. Red stared at his hands then up at Demeria.

“I don’t feel any different.”

Demeria shrugged. “I don’t think ya gotta, it just works.” Kip clapped politely while MK whooped, hopping onto his feet.

“SWEEEET. Now what?”

Demeria shrugged, tugging a tendril of her ‘hair’. “Man I dunno, that’s all I had up my sleeve. Wanna do tricks off the porch with my ‘board?” They cheered at that, although Fuku hopped up the stairs to plop near Elliot, taking out her phone to type on it. Red held up a markerboard with big 10’s on it when anyone hopped off, even if they fell.

Elliot laughed softly, looking over at Fuku from where he stood near the wall. “Soooo. Having fun?”

“Uh-huh.”

She sounded just like his niece. She twisted and held her phone up, clicking a photo of him before going back to typing at it quickly. He blinked, smiling in amusement. “What ah, are you doing?”

“Tellin’ Uncle Grillby you’re here.”

“A-Ah. Um. Why?”

She shrugged. He vaguely wondered if she was picking fun at her uncle but swept the thought away when MK rolled off the board, smashing into the ground with a laugh before he pushed himself up with his tail. Elliot chuckled. “He’s having fun, at least.”

“Yeah. Hey!” She shifted to look up at him again, green flames flickering. “You should friend Uncle Grillby on the Undernet! And me! So I can get power-ups for Flaria and new outfits!” She squeaked, nearly bouncing in place. Elliot let out a chuckle.

“Uh, okay? Is that like Facebook, I take it?”

“Eh, I guess. It’s for monsters.” She started tapping on her phone, tiny black eyes darting around. “Can’t friend Red though, he’s not on.”

“He’s not?”

“Nuh-uh.” Fuku shook her head, tapping a message it looked like. “Red doesn’t like online stuff. Kip’s kinda the same. He only gets on if one of us sends him something or his mom does.” Huh. Well, that was fair, not everyone was up for Facebook. Er. Undernet…? He nodded in agreement as Stretch opened the sliding door.

“Aaayyy time ta come in an’ eat.”

Fuku hopped up happily, racing past him and sliding in with a laugh. Kip had managed to pick Red up carefully as MK and Demeria raced inside, nearly bowling Stretch over. Elliot snickered. “They’re excited, huh?”

“Eh, yeah, they’re young and stuff,” Stretch shrugged, chuckling. They headed in after the kids, after double checking to make sure no one left anything outside. 

Kip had helped Red into the middle of the giant pillow pile they had made up in the living room, settled next to him with a plate of spaghetti on his lap as they both ate. MK was at the table, his face smushed into the plate as he ate happily. Demeria had kicked up on the couch to eat while Fuku had sat near the TV, instead of spaghetti she was nibbling on little bits of charcoal that popped and sparked with each bite.

Red waved happily at Elliot, stuffing his face happily as Elliot passed. He chuckled, shaking his head as he took a seat on the armchair as Fuku fiddled with the TV. A show with anime magical girls came on, and she scooched back quickly to settle near Red with wide eyes. “Oh! This is the newest episode!” she squeaked, pointing happily. Red giggled.

“Coool!!!”

Demeria mumbled as she took a bit, slurping up a noodle. “They were g’nna fight the Gorgon!” 

Kip grunted in agreement, taking a slow bite as they watched the episode. Elliot nearly fell asleep honestly, these anime shows just weren’t his thing. At least, not anymore. Everyone had an anime phase, of course. Either way, the show went on, Demeria stacking up empty plates and taking off to put them away in the dishwasher. Honestly Elliot didn’t really need to supervise them, but he just wanted to meet them for a bit before heading home.

Demeria and Fuku, he learned, were dating and had already decided to get married and have a ‘giant house’. He distinctly recalled a friend of his having the same dream back when he was their age. Kip was quiet and tall, and a little frightening in a manner but not too much. He was very kind to Red, and while he assumed the quietness was from his being a ‘jelly monster’, it just seemed to be more of a phase he was going through. (the tough and quiet persona thing, also a phase some people went through)

MK was the oldest of the group, despite being the shortest. He also had no arms. But he gleefully showed off his new abilities, which was mostly just being able to make small magic fireballs that bounced around. One glowed green and could heal, according to MK, and the kids were eager to poke at the flames and make jokes.

Red was the youngest, it seemed, since all of them would turn sixteen before he would, surprisingly.

He didn’t press and ask too many questions, he just wanted to see what they were like after all. So after they had gotten settled, he bid everyone goodbye for the night, giving Red a hug from his comfy position.

Fuku and Demeria set up a video game with Sans’ help, and they traded in and out with the controllers since there were five of them but four controllers. MK used his magic to use the controller, even though at home, he said, “I just hold it in my mouth! Or my tail.”

“Ew, gross, MK,” Demeria muttered, intent on speeding her go kart past the others. Red didn’t play games often, if ever, but Kip didn’t mind nudging a stick for him or explaining what button did what again.

Red, somehow, went over a ramp and rolled his car and they laughed, egging each other on to do the same. MK’s car burst into flames, while Demeria hit a wall.

Eventually they settled down for a movie with a giant bowl of popcorn courtesy of Cinnamon. Red had his leaning pillow and a blanket over him, while MK grunted and squirmed under one of the blankets, popping his head out to stare at the TV with wide eyes. Demeria and Fuku flopped on a pair of sleeping bags on the other side, staring at the TV. Fuku would sometimes grab a handful of popcorn, the treat burning in her hands as she nibbled on them. Kip just laid out on the mass of pillows, nearly snoring already.

Edge and Fell ‘crashed’ their slumber party, in which Edge ended up nearly entangled with Red, wearing a set of skull and crossbones pajamas and grumbling about the movie. Fell gained an admirer in MK as he ‘quietly’ regaled him with a tale of some battle or another. Quiet for him, at least. Fuku and Demeria poked and asked Edge all kinds of questions while Kip just grunted at whatever Fell said.

Eventually they all fell asleep in a giant pile. Fuku and Demeria were curled up, Fuku’s flames giving them all a soft nightlight. MK had rolled over with his tail on Kip’s head, snoring, while Edge and Fell blocked Red in as they slept.

An image that Sans immediately took a photo of once he made his way downstairs. Then texted to Grillby immediately. It was adorable, he couldn’t help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D :D :D :D
> 
> Just cuteness rn! Theeeen. Something! 
> 
> Sooooo. Proposal: another bad dream wherein this Red meets uh. Other. Red. 
> 
> You know. The one that's going through *so much bad*
> 
> that'd be horrible wouldn't it? :3 just a thought rn lol
> 
> I don't quite know much more to do during July but I'll read through the weeks of pregnancy and see if there's something Red should do/go through haha


	59. Another Nightmare?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has another nightmare...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it's a nightmare. Maybe it's another him. Up to you to decide ;)

July, Red is twenty-two weeks pregnant

When Red finally has a nightmare about it, he’s both prepared for it, and yet it still knocks him off his feet.

He sees Gaster.

In his dream. Nightmare. Both.

He knows he went to bed that night, after a hug from the other two Fell brothers, and having to walk around his room for a while to soothe Boss off to sleep. He knows he stripped down to just a pajama top, unable to wrestle himself into shorts of any kind, and not feeling up to the flowy feel of his nightgowns.

He knows he sat down slowly, leaning back against his pillow, and between one blink and the next, he fell asleep.

In his dream/nightmare, he sees a fire monster that’s both familiar and terrifying in one. He’s purple not orange, and he does…things to Red that feel awful and nauseating. Gaster insults him and it feels like a knife to his soul, having been somewhere with soft words and compliments the insult is like a sharp prick that bleeds inside him.

For a moment, he thinks this is a memory…but it’s not. He’d never met a purple fire monster before, and he’d never been so big when he lived at the Home with Gaster.

His hand trails down to his bare stomach, greeted by two…three…four tiny kicks. He spies two little skeleton bodies.

His soul quickens.

What is this? It’s not a memory. It’s an odd nightmare? Something sickening that makes him feel like he needs to haul himself up out of bed, drag himself to the bathroom and ride out the agony there. But there’s a feeling there…like when he spied through Edge’s eyes into his world.

A tighter thrum between them. He doesn’t want to acknowledge it. He ran away from there. There’s no way Gaster…there’s no way…

The other him, that is a literal other Red, hums as he starts to prepare dinner. His talk his nearly childish to the two infants in his belly, but Red can feel an undercurrent of sharp and dark thoughts. It’s…like an extreme of himself.

He wasn’t that…silly childish monster he once was, nor did he hold such darkness towards anyone. Except Gaster, perhaps, but he was slowly gathering the power to step away farther and farther from his grasp.

The other Red giggled softly, clicking his tongue when the soup spilled over the edge of the pot. He didn’t say a word, just wiped it up with a dishcloth.

It was quiet. It was lonesome. Red could feel himself panicking. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to know about this-

“Hello…?” 

Came the whisper, a pair of red eye lights trailing to the coffee can, reflecting back at him. It was _his own face_. 

Red startled awake with tears on his face, burying his face in his hands as he gasped and coughed, wheezing as he tried to get his breath back.

No.

No, it was just a horrible dream. It wasn’t like Edge, or Fell. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be…

His hand shook as he cupped around his own belly, his own little baby curled up tight and flinching softly every so often, curling and uncurling in his sleep.

Red let out a shaky breath, swallowing as he slowly dragged himself out of bed. He couldn’t sleep now.

In the morning, before his usual meetings for the day, Edge tromps down the stairs after having been woken up by Fell. He pauses, and then doesn’t ask before flopping beside Red on the couch, tucking into the blanket with him and passing him a new glass of water as his was empty. Red leaned on him, sipping the drink lightly, shutting his eyes for once since he’d been brutally awoken.

It wasn’t near enough sleep for the baby, who was grouchy all day making Red irritated and upset, but he couldn’t force himself to sleep again.

Not to go back to wherever that was.

No. He just wasn’t that strong.

———————————————————

Jax brings Anthony to their meeting, showing off the pudgy happy loud baby. She laughed as she sat him up in her arm a bit. “Little brat took forever to come! Then he was mad he wasn’t fed on time, just a stinker!” She cooed, kissing his tiny hand as he bapped at her. The others laughed and cooed over him. Edge looked a little nervous, but smiled softly as he held Red’s hand. 

Fell, who was easily accepted as ‘Red’s son’ (although Courtney seemed to be curious on exactly…how, considering they introduced Edge as Red’s twin…), was very interested in him and Stratus. Stratus was just as intrigued in him, a little puff of cloud poking out like a finger to prod back at Fell’s curious fingers. Raq didn’t seem to mind as they all conversed over Anthony, who tried to squall loudly over their chatting.

Red giggled softly as he read over his own papers for his baby. “What’s a babymoon? That sounds funny.” Edge shrugged as Alice piped up.

“It’s just a vacation, Red,” she smiled at him. “Some people go with their spouses, or do something baby safe.”

Red gasped. “I had a massage once! It was nice,” he giggled.

Jax snickered, adjusting her hold on the curious baby. “Man, my hubby raised up a babymoon idea. I was like ‘honey just take me to the hammock and leave me alone for an hour with a glass of lemonade’.” They laughed as Anthony squealed, kicking his small feet and jabbering on. “Ey, go back to your massage place, they might have a babymoon thing!”

Red nodded, grinning happily. “What would they do?”

Courtney perked up. “I heard they do this plaster thing of your stomach, it’s supposed to be a nice little memoriam, like a clay plate with your child’s hands?” Red nodded albeit in confusion, and they slipped past the conversation into massages and relaxing. Anthony seemed bored with them, dozing on his mother’s shoulder while Stratus blew a gust of wind at Fell playfully.

Fell squawked at the slightly cold wind, playfully scolding the baby who kept blowing at him and puffing up happily. It wasn’t much longer until they were done, and Red was shuffled off to his next meeting.

The brothers…didn’t attend. They could, certainly, their world wasn’t the best after all. But they both felt uneasy about speaking aloud all of the things that had gone on, merely hanging around in the hall to wait on Red. Red doesn’t tell them about his nightmare. Instead, he gushed over his baby some more, talked about his new therapy a little, and nibbled on a few of Carolyn’s flat cookies. So good!

He was exhausted once they all got home, opting to lay out in his glider all tucked up under a soft blanket, snoring softly as Stretch, Sans and Fell played some Mario game with driving. Edge laid out on the couch, cheering them on and nearly falling asleep himself.

It was a good day, even though BB and Blue were concerned on why Red was so tired, but he had assured them it was just Boss’ never ending energy making him sleepy. Which was also true. The baby was so excited all the time, especially when Fell was near, as if trying to get his attention. When Edge leaned on Red, the baby calmed down, happy and content with the both of them close.

It was very, very sweet. Red made a note to take a picture of the squirmy baby later. Maybe send it to his friends, show him off…yeah, that’s a great idea!

For later…for now…sleep that he had been robbed of the night before…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean I think it'd be awesome to save my poor bb from the other story but like, at the same time, I'm not sure lol. It won't stop the other story either, since I have IDEAS.
> 
> Also a babymoon is like the cutest thing I've read about???? I have an idea on how I want it to go lmao
> 
> Wasn't sure of getting him a doula tho, since he technically has a ton of people around him haha.
> 
> Poor poor Red. He'll ease up soon I swear ;)
> 
> Anyway I recently found a bunch of old RPs which I'm happy to report they're story worth, some could be small additions to others while some are stand alone like the cult of Gaster pfft.
> 
> Not to worry I won't like, bash out a million and then take forever on them, I'll do it a little at a time. For now. tAKE THIS!


	60. What Dreams Are Made Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans...wake up...it's time to go and find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interesting idea for something to happen later on has been ...written down UwU for now my babies are pregnant together, this Cherry hasn't had his twins juuuust yet. Soon. Twins are early ya know.
> 
> But don't worry. The hatred for Gaster WILL GROW.

July, Red is twenty-three weeks pregnant

“Sans.”

Sans, after stirring awake, felt something akin to deja vu. Didn’t he get woken up the same way last time…? No? Yes? He felt a small hand touch his shoulder, and another whisper of his name. Sans mumbled from where he was tucked up behind Papyrus’ back, Papyrus snoring away. He didn’t sleep often but when he did, it was deep…Sans stirred, yawning as he shifted, leaning to look at Red who stood at the side in a cozy sleeping gown. “Hmmm, morning?”

“No,” came the whisper. “But, um, we need to go.”

Go? Go where? Sans mumbled and swiped at his face, slowly pushing himself up with another yawn. Thank goodness he wore a shirt and boxer shorts to bed tonight…he would’ve gotten an earful from BB otherwise. “Mmm, why?” he mumbled. Red rocked on his heels nervously, a hand thrumming across his belly where the baby was probably restlessly squirming around.

“I. Um. Please? We need to go to the forest.”

Forest. Okay, this was getting weird. He forced himself more awake, squeezing at his nasal ridge between his eyes. “Wait, wait. What’s wrong?”

Red huffed impatiently, shifting back and forth on his feet. “Because…I…did something, and we have to go and help. Please?”

…that explained nothing. But Red seemed intent on doing this, so he nodded and sighed, shifting the blanket off him and tucking it around Papyrus, shuffling his feet into some slippers as he stood up. “Okay kid, okay. Just ah, promise me it’ll make sense when we get there?”

Red made a face. “It won’t, but, we still have to go.”

Eh, at least he was truthful. Sans bundled him into the car, making sure the seatbelt didn’t dig in too much, and off they went into the twilight of the early morning. Idly, Sans wondered why he didn’t wake up anyone else, but for some reason, Red always came to Sans during the night if something was wrong. (Also, he was the baby’s favorite, obviously, so he had to live up to Uncle status. …Uncle? Right? Hm. He’d have to think about that. Confusing, that was.)

He thought Red would doze off, but he held onto the seatbelt tightly, staring out the window as the buildings faded into a mountain and the mountain turned into trees. Sans thought _he_ would doze off-he used magic to drive, sue him-but there was something about all this making him nervous…besides the obvious. Or maybe because of it. This was way out of character for Red…the only thing he could link it to was when he had the dreams about Edge and Fell-oh.

Oh this would be bad. Hopefully not, but…

Red pointed to a side road quietly, urging Sans to park near the bus stop. “It’s down that way!” he squeaked, tugging on the door handle. Sans levitated some soft boots from the back to him as he opened the door.

“Shoes, Red, don’t need no sticks and rocks, heh.”

Red flushed, nodding as he quickly pulled them on, hopping out and swaying for a moment before shaking his head. Sans looped their arms together. “Lead us on then.” Red pointed the way, and off they went.

Red’s energy flagged fast though, so they had to go slow, Red leaning on Sans out of breath and tired. He had been getting dizzy lately, but that was part of the pregnancy, oddly. Sans, thankfully, had a bottle of water on hand (he had everything on hand…it was like ~magic~), and made him stop to take a drink and rest.

They kept walking, and Sans thought they’d be lost for a moment until Red stopped in place with a sharp gasp. Sans…couldn’t believe what he was seeing…

_”I can’t do it, there’s nothing for me out there.”_

_“It’s better than where you are! I promise!”_

_“B-But if I’m found, if he finds me, or a-any of them…”_

_“They won’t, trust me! I’ll be with you until you make it…”_

_…_

_“I…is this it?”_

_“Yes. Just. Just tap in…okay…and you have to use the matches.”_

_“Okay…a-and you promise, you’ll find me a-and nothing bad will happen?”_

_“I promise, other me. You’ll love it here! Just give me…um…not too long, okay?”_

_“Okay…I…Okay. …don’t leave me alone.”_

Nestled at the base of a large oak tree laid a skeleton. This skeleton looked remarkably like Red. The slightly too short gold tooth. The sharp claws. That’s…about where the similarities ended. Instead of the large red sweater Red had appeared in, this one seemed to be wearing a sheer nightgown with a bow on the side, except there was a tear at the shoulder of it. The nightgown hid absolutely nothing, causing Sans to blush brightly…and underneath was obviously a baby belly…

The skeleton flinched, stirring slightly and Red squeaked, rocking on his heels as he waved. “Other me!” he whispered quickly. The other sucked in a breath, then shot up, wincing as he nearly fell back down and scrambled back with wide horrified eyes.

“Who are you! Go away!” 

The voice was similar as well, but instead of the chirpy energetic tone Red had, or the rough grizzled one Edge had, this one…was even, a slight tilt at the end as his eye lights went from Sans to Red and back, his breathing picking up faster than Sans figured was healthy. Sans cleared his throat, gently holding a hand onto Red’s shoulder. “Heya bud,” he rumbled out. “Name’s Sans. Figured you’re uh, Sans too, huh?”

The skeleton gulped, his fingers shaking as they folded into the dress tightly, shaking in place as he looked between them. “I…I thought…I thought um…” he shook his head, slapping his hands over his face with a keen as he started to fold down. Red made a noise, squirming away from Sans to hurry and hug up to the other. He let Red, shaking and burying his face into Red’s shoulder.

Red patted his back, smiling happily. “It’s okay, we’re here now! And you can live with us forever!”

Sans cleared his throat, not to interrupt Red, but shifted his eyes up to the sky then back. “We um, we should start heading home as it is, okay?” 

Red nodded, and the other didn’t respond, but let Red (and Sans, since neither of them quite had the balance to do so on their own) help him up. 

There was something behind the words the other was mumbling wetly into Red’s shoulder, something Sans couldn’t pinpoint but that it gave him a grave, saddened feeling, as if his very soul had been covered in a dark blanket:

‘I thought I was dreaming.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll need to watch Level 16, such a weird movie.
> 
> Anyway. Hi. How are ya? How's life? Doing good? I hope so. Everyone's back at school, getting used to things, hm? Do good all, take those exams, get that promotion \o/ love ya *mwah*


	61. Shh...Sleeping In Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cherry meets everyone. Cherry wants sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Cherry, but also, he's just so kinda chill????

July, Red is twenty-three weeks pregnant

Red had graciously given his glider to Cherry, their newfound addition to the skeleton household. Well, ‘given’ as in he let Cherry lay in it with a big fluffy blanket and a cup of tea that Sans had made up. It wasn’t like they couldn’t share, living together and all. Cherry’s eye sockets were still slightly teary, and he sniffled every so often, taking a calming sip of the warm tea.

The real surprise were the twins in his belly, one of a few differences between him and Red. Red had Boss, a small little baby who eagerly stretched when Cherry hesitantly reached out to touch. It made Red laugh at the ticklish feeling, but oddly there was no thrum of magic like when he and Edge had met. Sans privately assumed it was because they were both from the same timeline as he watched them from his own chair. Cherry’s babies were interesting. One was fierce, and looked angry, while the other dozed on, looking softer in the skull than his twin.

Absolutely adorable, of course.

The others were surprised, of course, but as they did with Red, took to things easily. BB fussed over him but Cherry flinched back, hiding himself under the blanket with a shudder. He did, however, accept the plate of food BB had brought him, relaxing slowly as BB made sure he was comfortable before heading off to do…something.

Edge seemed nervous but sighed and accepted the new development, while Fell just judged Cherry as ‘MOM’ now. Cherry teared up at that too, finding Fell ‘very sweet’.

BB came back after everyone was settled, Cherry thrumming with nervous energy as he held tight onto the now empty tea cup. “WELL, WE’LL HAVE TO SET UP A NEW ROOM, SET UP APPOINTMENTS AND THE LIKE-”

“I-I don’t want to…go…” Cherry mumbled, flushing under BB’s gaze. Red patted his shoulder from where he laid on the couch.

“It’s okay! It’s a nice doctor! I promise! She takes pictures of the baby.”

Cherry seemed interested in that, at least, so he agreed, so long as someone came with him. BB made Blue and Papyrus go and get something of Red’s to dress Cherry in, after clearing it with Red of course. Cherry seemed much more withdrawn than Red ever did, watching them all with wide eyes as they walked around or talked.

Red squirmed, laying on his side as he patted Cherry’s hand. “I gotta go to therapy, did you wanna go with?”

“I-I dunno what that is,” Cherry mumbled, his fingers twitching against Red’s. 

Red squeaked. “It’s nice! You can talk about whatever you like. Sometimes I talk about um,” he whispered here, leaning in a bit, “him, sometimes? Buuuut not always. Sometimes the baby.”

Cherry shook his head instead, looking back at the cup. “M-Maybe um, next time? I don’t think I…want to.”

He was afraid Red wouldn’t be happy with that, but he just smiled and rolled off the couch, giving Cherry a happy hug before rushing off to Stretch who was taking him that day. Cherry sighed, plopping his head back on the pillow as he stared up at the ceiling. For a moment it was so very quiet…until BB appeared next to him. “CHERRY.”

Cherry sucked in a breath, curling his hands into the blanket and nearly losing the cup. He had to juggle it, before BB took it, and he sighed. “Y-Yes…?”

“DO YOU HAVE A CUFF, TOO? IT SHOULD COME OFF IF SO.”

Cherry blinked, then nodded, shifting to pull the blanket up a bit to reveal the steel cuff. BB nodded. “RED HAD ONE AS WELL, AND HE HAD TO LIVE WITH A BOOT FOR A WHILE. MAY I CUT IT OFF?” He held up a sharpened bone, but it didn’t seem to scare Cherry. He just shrugged, letting BB saw at it for a while. Instead of the clean slice of chain like Red had, the chain had odd marks on the ends, disproportionately so. BB looked up at him, frowning as he stared for a moment.

…there…Cherry’s gold tooth was slightly marred, and two of the front sharp teeth had scrapes on them. “DID YOU BITE THIS OFF?”

Cherry nodded. “Uh huh. I couldn’t do what Red said, and I got…frantic.”

“I SEE. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, OKAY? DOES IT HURT?” 

Cherry slipped a hand over his mouth, gently nudging one tooth before shaking his head. “No. I mean. Not. Yet?”

“HM. YOU CAN CLEAN THEM LATER AND KEEP AN EYE ON THEM, OKAY?”

Cherry nodded, watching as the chain finally broke in half. It was…worse than Red’s leg.

This chain seemed to have been strained on in the past, or recently. An edge had dug into his ankle so hard it left a line, so much so that BB wondered what it would take to snap it in half. Not much, perhaps. “DOES YOUR LEG OFTEN HURT?”

“I don’t…walk as much now,” Cherry mumbled, fiddling with the blanket. “But um, it twinges sometimes?”

BB nodded. “WE’LL FIX IT. IT MIGHT MEAN SOMEONE CARRYING YOU THOUGH,” he warned, and Cherry nodded.

“Okay…”

BB sighed, nodding as he stood up, giving Cherry a small smile. “EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT, OKAY?”

Cherry shrugged in response, and well, BB couldn’t fault him for that one. He did pat his shoulder lightly, offering him a book to flip through while BB put away dishes. The book was about constellations, something Cherry adored to read about while Gaster was gone…it didn’t take much for him to rock himself to sleep, despite the waves of nervousness making his soul shake every so often.

——————————————————

Some of the others went out shopping for clothes, and other things Cherry would need. Surprisingly, or maybe not too surprisingly, it was Fell who stuck around to help ‘MOM’ out with things. Cherry adored him, especially after Red had introduced him as their ‘future son’, a slightly silly connotation but it made Cherry fell all warm and cozy for some reason.

Cherry yawned for the third time since Fell started up his favorite movie, something about kung fu and a panda? Fell looked over from where he had taken up station next to the glider on the floor, frowning. “IF YOU ARE TIRED, YOU SHOULD SLEEP! THE OTHER ME’S ARE NEEDING MUCH ENERGY TO BUILD THEMSELVES!”

Cherry huffed out a laugh, smiling at Fell as he smoothed a hand over his belly. “I would, but it’s all I’ve been doing lately…” he started to hum softly, the softer twin gently kicking in response to the song. Fell tilted his head.

“WHAT ARE YOU SINGING?”

“Oh!” Cherry flushed. “It’s…a song I found, in-in an old book…it’s supposed to calm the babies.” Fell nodded, an intense look on his face, and Cherry giggled. “Wanna nap?”

“I DO NOT NAP! I AM! MERELY CURIOUS ON THE SONG IS ALL!”

Mm-hmm, Cherry just smiled and patted the small space next to him. Fell couldn’t fit in, but he just plopped his head next to Cherry’s hip, and Cherry slid a hand over his head softly, rubbing small circles into his skull with his thumb as he cleared his throat.

“…little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mock-ing-biiiird…And if that mock-ing-biiiird don’t siiiing, Mama’s gonna buy you…”

Among all iterations of Papyrus, one rule stood above all: they needed a bedtime story. Or song. Papryus’ favorite story was Fluffy Bunny, but his favorite song was ‘I love you, Baby, You’ve got to go (to sleep)’. Stretch’s was a cute finger puppet book about kittens, and any time Blue sang an Elvis song he’d knock right out. Cinnamon would never admit that he still loved the old poem book BB had found eons ago, but it was BB who dozed off when Cinnamon would hum ‘I Love A Rainy Night’. 

(BB’s favorite book was Goodnight, Moon, and perhaps he still said a silent good night to the house that kept them safe. Perhaps.)

Edge always read ‘Polar Bear Polar Bear’ to Fell when they were kids, but Fell decided that he was out of stripes and didn’t need a story at night. Edge still had the story committed to memory, of course.

But it seemed that Cherry had found the one song that his own sons-and Fell-would always love no matter what. Halfway through the song, the twins were peaceful from their constant moving, and even Fell had drifted off into an even breathing. 

Cherry smiled, kissing his hand and patting Fell’s head softly. “You’ll make a great big brother,” he gushed softly, yawning himself and leaning back against the pillow. The soft warmth of one of Fell’s arms laid over his legs, and his head leaned against his stomach, soothed him even more, causing him to fall into the most restful sleep he’s had since he’d gotten pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey like. Them? So cute. Red and Fell are adorbs but he's kind of like...the sweet mother? like gushing about you a lot and smooching your face while Cherry is like. calm in a storm almost.
> 
> Edge is a bit rough but he loves his bro <3 
> 
> anyway my headcanon is like the Swaps share some parts with their alts like, Stretch loving a bedtime story, yo, lmao and Blue can dip into that 'heheheehe' voice
> 
> Sans does the MWEH HEH HEH at his own puns, send tweet.


	62. Elliot, Meet Cherry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cherry is suspicious of Elliot, and then things happen. Good things. More good things than Cherry ever would imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherry is asleep and I need to be asleep but I ain't got a big comfy bed like them lmao

July, Red is twenty-three weeks pregnant

Elliot was pretty sure that the cosmos were pulling some sort of ethereal prank on him. Right? Somehow?

There were now two Reds. Of course he sat through Sans’ explanation, but the easiest was to imagine them as twins but from the…same…situation?? 

His mind hurt after it all, but damn if he wasn’t going to be cordial to uh, Cherry. (They weren’t the best with the nicknames, neither was their king so he figured, you know, that’s where they got it from.)

He came into the living room with a smile as Red gasped, sitting up on the couch. “Elliot! Elliot, you’re early!”

“I am, remember, your doctor was checking how things are going with baby?” Red nodded quickly, bouncing in place at the idea. Elliot smiled. “Just thought I’d tag along. You and um…Cherry?”

Cherry looked so similar to Red, Elliot would’ve bought the twin thing before the alternate universe self…thing. They were wearing almost the same thing. Red had on a pale pink dress with blue stripes, while Cherry’s had uh, cherries all over the skirt edge. However, his stomach was twice as big as Red’s, and he was stretched out in the glider, staring at Elliot with wide eyes. “What are yooooou?” he whispered, hugging the blanket nearby close to him.

Red squeaked. “Elliot’s a human!”

Cherry nodded slowly and Elliot wondered whether this was a good or bad thing to him. Either way, Elliot smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m to help Red out in case he gets scared and can’t tell anyone. Like, even though he’s friends with Sans, he doesn’t want to hurt Sans’ feelings by saying he wants to go somewhere else, you know?” Cherry shook his head. “It’s okay. But if you don’t like something, you can tell me, and I’ll handle things.”

Cherry stared at him, then looked away with a shrug. Huh. He wasn’t like Red, in a way. Or was this how Red was in the beginning? Either way, Red slowly got up, giggling. “Time to go! Cherry, c’mon!”

Cherry smiled nervously, looking from Red to Elliot then back. “A-Ah, okay, but, you better get Fell so I can get up…” Red nodded, darting off eagerly to grab the taller skeleton. Cherry wouldn’t look at him even as Elliot took a seat on the other side. They sat in silence, Cherry stealing looks at him before looking back down, fiddling with his fingers.

No, he wasn’t like Red at all.

The reason for Fell having to help Cherry-beyond the obvious-was apparent. Whatever shackle thing Red had had, Cherry had as well. His leg looked…cracked? Maybe? Elliot couldn’t tell. But Cherry had seen him staring and quickly pulled his legs up and out of sight, glaring at him. Ouch.

Elliot helped Red into the van, nodding along as he chattered away, Cherry still refusing to speak to him as they sat in the back. Elliot wouldn’t push it, besides, if he did it might make things worse. So he just gave Cherry another smile, returning his attention to Red who was busy listing all the amazing things Boss had done that day…such as yawning.

—————————————————

Cherry’s appointment for his leg went well, especially after the whole ‘twin’ explanation BB had offered up. Doctor Cumul helped fix his leg up, although every time he touched Cherry’s leg, he twitched, as if trying to pull away. Other than that he just stared at the cloud monster with wide eyes, still not saying much if anything.

Elliot…was a little worried by now. 

Doctor Anya was a different story. Red was up first and she happily praised his weight gain. “We’re up in nearly the final stretch and he’s all bundled up! It’s going great, Red.”

Red beamed, blushing as he shifted on the table as she touched around on his belly. “I feel all funny moving around sometimes.”

Anya nodded. “I would suggest more swimming, and perhaps a little more exercise, but keep it up and perhaps make a check on your own weight at home. So long as you stay around this weight, you’re fine.”

Cherry was up next, helped up onto the table by Fell and slowly settling down, tense and looking ready to bolt at any wrong move. Anya smiled at him. “Twins, hm? Exciting! May I?”

He hesitated, looking between her and the others, then nodded slowly as he tugged up the top. She shifted her hands over his belly, not moving a lot so he could ease up. She hummed, slowly rubbing her thumb in a circle. “My, look at you two, all snuggled up. Anything out of the unusual?”

Cherry shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t know what’s um, not…usual.”

Anya hummed, nodding. “Do you want your friends to stay around or leave? I know it can be difficult to talk in front of others.”

Cherry tensed, shrinking down and looking away and she turned, smiling at them. “Just for a minute, please?” 

Red seemed to pout-he’d just gotten comfy in the chair-but BB shooed them out of the room and into the lobby with him. “YOU HEARD HER, IT’S JUST FOR A MOMENT.” 

Elliot nodded as Fell frowned. “BUT WHY?”

“Sometimes when people feel…bad, they feel embarrassed to say something in front of people they know.”

“…OH…”

—————————

Cherry thrummed his fingers together lightly. “I just, I dunno. I feel tired a lot…and lonely…”

Anya nodded, looking over the napping babies slowly. “I think I understand. They call them the ‘prenatal blues’.” 

Cherry blinked. “What’s that?”

“It’s…feeling down, really down and sad, a lot,” she explained, smiling at him. “Sometimes it’s the hormones fault…sometimes it outside sources. You live with Red now, correct?” Cherry nodded. “I’d like you to go along with him, outside and about, and talk with others. I’d also like to see you again, in a week, okay?”

“W-Why?”

“Sometimes the blues can turn into something worse, and we’d rather not have that happen,” she explained. “I think if you get out in the sun, talk to everyone, I think you’ll start to feel better. But, don’t hesitate to tell someone when you’re feeling sad, okay?”

Cherry nodded again. “O-Okay. How are they?”

Anya chuckled. “Perfect, albeit a bit big. It’s not an issue, but it might mean your due date is different than you expected.” He shrugged, he wasn’t sure when he was due, really. “Take it easy too, don’t push yourself. I’d also recommend seeing a therapist if the feelings don’t shake off.”

Cherry shrugged again. “…c-can I have a picture?” he asked softly and Doctor Anya laughed. 

“Of course!”

—————————

The little snapshot of the twins curled up, nearly holding hands, had nearly sent Cherry into tears. They were just so cute!! Precious!! Lovely! He loved them so, so much. Red gushed over them with him as they rode home, and Cherry even shyly showed the photo to Elliot, whatever grudge he had earlier fading now.

Elliot smiled. “They’re perfect, Cherry.”

That seemed to be the thing to say as Cherry grinned, settling back against Red as they gushed over them again.

At home, he goaded Edge into taking him outside with Sans. The lawn chair was easy enough to prop his legs up. The doctor had the right idea. The sun warmed his bones up even though he had no clue when he had gotten cold. Red was busy doing…something, tilting back and forth in a short top and shorts, the top riding up every few stretches and he had to pull at it again. Cherry nearly fell asleep except one of the babies stretched out, lightly kicking at him. He smiled, placing a hand over their small foot. 

“You like it? I like it. We can stay outside in the sun aaalll day and nap, hm?” he mumbled, rubbing slow circles over his belly. The way the little foot papped back it had to be his grumpy baby, awake from his nap and eager to stir up trouble somehow.

He wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Night came too quickly, and he had to have a little help switching to a night gown, hobbling his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Edge hovered nearby, and Cherry felt touched that he did so. Such a sweet boy (even if he was older than Cherry, it seemed).

His teeth ached now, and no amount of brushing seemed to help. The gold was scratched, and he sighed, placing the brush down. Nothing to it then…there had to be a way to fix them. Later, though. Tonight he was exhausted. He hobbled back out, smiling at Fell. “Thank you, but it’s time to go to bed, yeah?”

“NYEH! OF COURSE, MOM!”

Cherry reached up and, in a similar move Red had made, kissed his cheek with a smile. “Good night, sleep tight.”

Fell flushed, grinning happily as he struck a pose with his hands on his hips. “Y-YOU AS WELL!”

Edge snickered from the side, waving Cherry off and fussing at Fell to hurry and go get cleaned up. Cherry smiled, they were so funny, fussing at each other!

He headed to the bedroom, hesitating as he climbed up into the bed next to Red’s sleeping pillow. Red was at the desk, writing in something as he hummed, tongue peeking out. “A-Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t, I mean, I haven’t slept in a bed with…s-someone.”

“Neither have I!” Red chirped, closing his book and bouncing up, climbing into bed and cuddling up with a wide grin. “But it’ll be fine, I bet! How do you feel?”

Cherry paused, thinking for a moment, before giving a soft smile, curling their hands together. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

Red giggled, smiling. “Okay….night night!” 

“Night.”

The lamp was the only light on, not enough to be annoying, just enough to illuminate should one of them need to get up. It was…soothing, past the inky darkness that always seemed to invade during the night. 

Cherry wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but he did. Everything felt…lighter. His legs weren’t pulled up and tensed, his arms stiff at his sides, his jaw was unclenched. He felt…better.

He wasn’t _better_, by any means. But he felt better, here, curled up with his duplicate, their hands curled lightly between them, their babies sound asleep. He felt better, and he cherished this moment for as long as he managed to stay awake, slipping under the waves of sleep in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherry, seeing a 30 year old man: such a good boy, yes, so sweet, you're a darling dear
> 
> Cherry is secretly an old woman with treats in a bag, pass it on
> 
> Cherry is also more...seeeeecretive than Red. He is also definitely suffering from some depression, mostly because of. Everything lol. But yeah the doc prescribed some sunlight, gotta get that Vitamin C!
> 
> Er
> 
> Or is it D?


	63. Snippets of Cherry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a day, or two, with the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small chapter, sorry, but the next will make up for it <3 <3

July, Red is twenty-three weeks pregnant

The first thing they decided was that Red’s bedroom was now too cramped. Either they could let both alternates stay in the room, or just one with their children, but not all….five? Five. Cherry teared up and hugged onto Red, thinking he was getting in trouble, but Sans assured him otherwise.

“It’s just,” Sans explained, “eventually, they’ll be a bit big and it’ll be hard on ya both to try and get up and tend to ‘em. See?”

Cherry shrugged, giving in that it was inevitable on what they’d do. He really wanted to stay with Red…Red squeaked, hugging him back tightly. “We can still stay together! For um, now, at least?”

Sans chuckled. “We can make ‘em up a nursery ta stay in, after they get a little bigger, yeah?”

That seemed to settle things, although Cherry was still hesitant letting the twins farther than his eye sight, he could hardly imagine the future…

With that, Stretch and Blue took them to the baby furniture shop again. Red immediately dragged him over to a set of rocking chairs and Cherry sunk into one happily, although he felt out of breath with how the twins sat on him. Blue came over with a magazine, happily opening up to the crib pages. “LOOKIE! YOU CAN ORDER THEM!”

Cherry and Red leaned in curiously.

One had stripes with a strange yellow bear on the side, and another had a playful knight and dragon theme to it. Cherry wanted the twins to share a crib, which seemed easy enough since they were little enough to fit said crib. There were decorations to order for the nursery-which would be a once unused room between theirs and BB and Cinnamon’s-along with various things like toys and nightlights.

Speaking of, back home Papyrus and BB were busy decorating said nursery just a little to surprise them. They went for an underwater theme as ‘IT WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO FACE ALL OCEANIC ENEMIES!’ BB said. Papyrus had to agree with his sentiment, of course.

On the walls, at the top, was a beach layout with several small people playing in the surf. Under, an ocean of beautiful fish that swam around. With the lights out, several of the fish glowed in the dark. A giant octopus with large tentacles that furled around the corners of the room glowed dark purple in the night. 

It was beautiful, definitely worthy of being the nursery to the three incoming newborns.

———————

‘I hate-

I hate-

I-

I’m-

I don’t feel anything for you.

Lax says it’s okay to hate you, and I think Red does.

But I just feel empty inside. I feel like we missed something, together. Like there could have been a bigger thing but there wasn’t.

I feel like I’m missing a bigger part of me.

I feel

Like I’m missing you, sometimes.

Red says he does, too, but he hates himself for it. He gets so upset he’ll start crying about it, and then I cry and then we hug.

Hugging’s a thing, too. It’s nice.

I

Sometimes

I wonder what could’ve happened. Would you have changed your mind, when the babies came? I feel like they’ll miss something too, once they’re here. Lax says that they won’t but…she can’t change how I feel.

I went to a meeting with Red. There was a lady there who dealt with someone like you. I asked her, quietly, if she ever missed her girlfriend. She told me that sometimes, she’ll turn to ask if it’s okay to go out, expecting to see the color of her hair or the scent of her perfume, but she’s not there because she’s in jail.

And she’ll feel like there’s a hole in her chest.

She says it gets easier. She says the reason it hurts me more than Red is that I stayed longer.

I wonder how right she is? She seems pretty smart. She says she has a new girlfriend now, but sometimes she still feels like she should expect someone to grip her bicep and yank her away, not wave at her from the hall with a smile.

I understand that. Sometimes I wake up, waiting to hear your voice, waiting to…

It’s stupid. 

I feel…stupid.

I feel tired.’

There’s a doodle of a small black circle, then a large X made over it. There is no other entry besides this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Events that cannot be foreseen: the death of a loved one, the birth of another, and how several people will react to a similar situation. Some run in fear, some cower, some brace themselves to fight. 
> 
> It does not make you less of a person when one of these reactions happen, nor does it make you a horrible one for having a reaction completely different than everyone else's. They are not you, and you are not them.
> 
> So long as your reaction is not to immediately coat the chainsaw-wielding maniac in your three meat pizza you bought with a coupon, you are doing well. After all...
> 
> Pizza is not worth sharing with someone out for your blood.


	64. Pollux and Castor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cherry's in a bad mood and doesn't feel well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuuhhh graphic-ish birth??? Kinda???

August, Red is twenty-four weeks pregnant

Cherry had never felt so on edge before.

Okay, a lie. He’d felt on edge before, but not…well…he couldn’t exactly put a finger on it. He snapped at Red when they got up, couldn’t manage to sit down very well at the dinner table (not that he could walk around a lot on his bad leg, but still…). He kept sitting up straddling the footstool, huffing as he glared at the TV.

He jumped as a hand touched his shoulder, staring up at Stretch who gave a nervous grin. “Heya, you uh, you alright?”

“…yeah,” Cherry shrugged, turning his attention to the TV. “I think. Why?”

“You uh, you look like you’re in a bit of pain there, bud.”

Cherry winced, something twinging in his hips and he sucked in a breath, sighing slowly. “…a little…I dunno.”

Stretch frowned, digging a sucker out of his hoodie and offering it to him. Cherry shook his head, he wasn’t a sweet tooth haver like the others. “Hmmmmm. Weird. Is it the kiddos?”

Cherry shook his head, adjusting his hand from clutching the footstool to cup over the soft dress. No, the babies…were still, they weren’t moving around very much, but he just swept it off to their after-breakfast nap they always had. A twinge, and one of them shifted, a foot pushing up against him as he hissed. “Dunno, they don’t like it,” he mumbled.

Stretch clicked his tongue. “Want us to call the doc?”

Cherry weighed it out in his mind. To call and bug the doctor…or not…Red had headed out with the others to his usual meetings but Cherry had opted to stay home since he was feeling so...touchy. (It didn't help that Red had instantly forgiven him for snapping at him, he felt even worse for it.)

But this was about his babies, and he would do anything for them. He sighed, bobbing his head with a grunt. “Yeah I guess.”

Stretch gave a thumbs up, already dialing the doctor as Cherry tried to get into a position that didn't make him feel irritable and achy.

“Doctor Anya's office,” came a chipper voice.

“Uh hi yeah, I'm calling for Cherry, one of her patients?” Stretch started, walking over to turn off the TV. “So he's not feeling too good but we didn't know if it's...not something to worry about,” he mumbled the end.

“Oh okay! One moment please.”

He flinched as loud classical music started to play, and Cherry burst into laughter, grinning. “Your face!”

“Yeah yeah,” Stretch chuckled, waving at him as he took a seat at the couch, leg bouncing lightly as they waited nervously. The music played on, and Cherry let out a sigh, trying not to let the wait irritate him. He winced, shifting, as the doctor's voice came over the phone.

“Hello there?”

“Yeah, hey, doc,” Stretch sat up, now that he had her on the line. “Hey I'm callin' about Cherry, uh...”

“Yes, he's not feeling well? What's happening?”

Stretch looked at him helplessly and Cherry huffed, puffing up his cheeks. “I feel antsy and I dun wanna sit still and my hips hurt a lot.”

“Hmm,” came her voice, papers flicking in the background. “Is it constant or does it ebb and flow?”

“Um,” Cherry shrugged, wincing. “Kinda? But now it's constant. In my back.”

“Mm, I see. Okay so, time in between the sharper pains, and when they're five minutes apart, start coming up here, seems like you're in labor,” she told them. Stretch choked on his spit as Cherry frowned.

“But i-isn't it too early?”

“For twins? No, they tend to come early,” Anya said as she started writing something down. “Now, if the magic around them starts thinning, your water breaks, or you start seeing double, come in right then. But for now, we'll wait out the pains until they get closer, okay?”

“But it huuurrts,” Cherry whined, feeling almost like he could cry at not being able to be helped with it.

“I know, I'm sorry,” Anya said. “However, it's been proven that taking a long soaking bath-not too hot, mind you-will help ease the labor pains. Heating pad, maybe a massage, but try and do your best, okay?”

“Okaaaay,” he pouted, and that was it. He was in labor.

“Well,” Stretch said as he hung up. “Uh. Want a bath?”

“Yes,” he grumped, huffing as he had to have Stretch help him up off the footstool.

The bath...did...not a lot. He'd even had Stretch fill it with bubbles to try and make him happy, and it was the perfect temp, but it seemed that it urged the pains on more as if sensing his impending relaxation. He sunk into it a little, grumpy and tired, staring as a pile of bubbles floated by.

This sucked. When the twins were out, he was gonna tell them how much it sucked. And then give them a hug, because he loved them.

He sighed, stretching his arms as he sat back up, sliding a hand over his belly where the two were still and quiet. He was a little concerned about it, but every so often he saw a little finger twitch, or an eye socket flinch. They were either asleep, or so squished they couldn't move.

That would suck, too. Poor babies.

BB helped him out of the bath when they came home, helping him into a robe. “IT'LL BE EASIER THAT WAY,” he said, leading Cherry out of the bathroom, clean but no less pain-free. “IN CASE WE HAVE TO HURRY TO THE HOSPITAL.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “BB, this sucks.”

BB snorted. “I HAVE NO DOUBT. WOULD YOU LIKE A MASSAGE FROM PAPYRUS?”

Cherry perked up. “Yes!” Papyrus had a bit of healing magic, which definitely helped with their back pains sometimes (and Sans when he had a headache, and Stretch when his legs ached and...).

He was cuddled up to the lanky skeleton, wincing as the usually tender fingers felt like they were just stabbing his back. He sighed, shaking his head. “Sorry, Papyrus. I dunno what to do.”

Papyrus laughed, grabbing the heating pad to the side. “HERE, LEAN BACK, MAYBE THIS WILL HELP?”

Oh. That was nice. He kicked his feet up happily, relaxing into the warm touches that helped ease his ecto muscles nicely.

Enough that he ended up taking a nap on the couch, stirring awake to Red nuzzled up to him, happily sleeping away.

Which, wouldn't be so bad, except for the now sharper pains in his pelvis. He shifted nervously, nudging Red awake. “Hmmmm?”

“Sorry,” he flushed, knowing that sleep was hard for the both of them lately. “Just, aching more.”

“Ooohh,” Red yawned, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. Today he wore a sweater of all things and a pair of shorts, seeming content with his cozy clothes as he hopped up. “Do you wanna go to the doctor?”

“Depends, what time is it?” he cleared his throat, sitting up with a sigh.

Red blinked, then checked his phone, squinting in the light. It was then Cherry noticed the lights were out except for the TV, playing some Lifetime movie on mute. Wow. How late...?

“It's 7!”

Cherry tilted his head. “Wow. I slept half the day away...?”

Red grinned, giggling. “I guess! I took a nap with you when I got home! It wasn't that long ago though...”

“Huh.” Cherry winced, his hand digging into the front of his robe with a low groan. “Yeah...I bet it's time to go to the doc.”

“I'll get the others!” And off he sped, as fast as he could with his own bump, as Cherry tried to ease himself through another spark of pain.

There were two bags they had made up at the door, one for Red and one for Cherry. Cherry's had double of Red's baby things, since, twins of course. He had a long t-shirt pajama inside, a pair of shorts, flip flops, and a few things they were told to bring along.

Cherry, honestly, at this point, could quite honestly care less what was in the bag. Right now all he cared about was ending this pain and getting to the hospital. They had to get him in the van carefully, to which he curled up on the bench with a low groan.

Edge gently patted his head. “YOU CAN DO IT, MOM! YOU'RE QUITE STRONG!”

Fell snorted from the other side. “Thought ya said I was so wimpy I couldn't open a jar of pickles?”

“YES, THAT'S YOU, NOT MOM.”

Red covered his mouth in a giggle as they squabbled but Cherry groaned, “Boys, please, shut up before I puke everywhere.”

They shut up.

He would apologize, but well, he was kind of concentrating on something else right now.

The drive to the hospital was a flash, and he was being carted into the room before he knew it, groaning when a nurse helped him out of the wheelchair. “Nooo...”

“I know, I know,” she said kindly, “but walkin' will help the aches, yeah? Just a bit, to the bed with you.”

He grumbled, his hand clutched tight into his robe top as he slowly made his way over to the hospital bed. It was just as sterile and white as the rest of the room. He preferred their bed to this, but no time to think on that right now.

His head plunked on the pillow, then he shifted, then moved, then sat up with a groan. “I don't like this.”

They wouldn't let everyone in, but they did let BB and Red in. Red cuddled up in a chair, watching with wide eyes as BB grabbed ice chips and other things from people outside the door or the bathroom. “OF COURSE NOT, I BELIEVE ANYONE WHO HAS TO GIVE BIRTH WOULD RATHER IT TAKE TWO SECONDS THAN HOWEVER LONG IT ACTUALLY LASTS.”

Cherry whined, plopping back on the pillow, taking the cup of ice to chew on. “Yeah...” He sighed, sitting up again. “I wanna walk, I guess...”

BB nodded, handing the cup to Red who happily took it, and BB helped Cherry up again, walking around the room. He went back to bed in a moment, but still felt restless until Doctor Anya came zooming in.

“Hello hello! We're here to have some babies, hm?”

Cherry huffed, nodding. “I guess...”

“Well, let's see how it's going. Lay back, okay?” She helped him lay back in the bed, adjusting the blanket over his waist. “Okay, I'm just gonna peek under, okay? Make sure everything's going along swimmingly.”

Cherry clutched at the blanket, not looking at her as he nodded. “I-Sure.”

It didn't take a moment and she adjusted the blanket back over his lap. “Sorry, dear. You're in labor but not ready yet.”

Cherry's face crumpled a bit, and he sniffled. “Wh-Why noooot?”

The doctor smiled, gently patting his shoulder. “I know, I know,” she soothed him. “Unfortunately the body's gotta build itself up to the main event. Soon, though, okay? Keep walking and relaxing, and we'll check again in an hour.”

Cherry huffed, looking away, grumbling to Red about it when she left. Red giggled, happily helping Cherry walk this time while BB popped out for a warm blanket. “You have two, so maybe that's why it takes a while?”

“It sucks,” he complained. “I hate it. I'm never having another baby ever. What about you?”

Red had wide eyes, tilting his head as they turned the corner in the room. “I want looooot of babies. Yeah. So many!”

“Not me,” Cherry griped, wincing as he followed Red's steps. “This is it, nuh-uh. Edge better be happy with the siblings he got!” He continued to rant and rave until BB showed up, and Cherry proceeded to complain to him about how much it 'sucked' and how he'd 'never ever have another baby'.

BB seemed intensely amused at that, nodding as he had Cherry get back into bed, covering him up. “HM, WHO KNOWS HOW ONE WILL FEEL IN THE FUTURE. FOR NOW, LET'S WORK ON THESE TWO BEFORE WE THINK OF MORE BABIES.”

Red poked his shoulder, giggling as BB looked at him. “I want a lot!” he whispered and BB rolled his eyes, shooing him to the chair.

“AGAIN, LET'S FOCUS ON THE ONES WE HAVE BEFORE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, OKAY?” Red giggled, quickly agreeing as he got comfy in the chair.

And boy, did he need it.

Hour after hour passed, BB trading out for Stretch who helped Cherry around. The nurses brought in a small cot for Red so he wouldn't have a sore back since he was pregnant and didn't seem like he was going to leave any time soon.

Stretch traded out for Papyrus when it was halfway to midnight, and Cherry sighed as he walked the room with a sleepy Red. “I dunno, maybe they'll never come out.”

“They gotta,” Red yawned, leaning on Cherry. “Where would they even go if they don't?”

Cherry shrugged, then sucked in a breath at a sharper pain. He had to stop walking, and it nearly brought him-and Red-to his knees. Red squeaked as he lost his balance for a second. “Ch-Cherry?!”

Cherry groaned lowly, rocking on his heels for a moment, before he broke down into sobs, covering his face. “It h-hurts!” He sobbed out, wailing as he couldn't seem to get up now. Red frantically tried to help, but he was never good with someone crying lately, and when Papyrus came in, it was to two teary-eyed skeletons.

Of course, he quickly called for the nurse, who then called for the doctor.

In a whirlwind Cherry was back on the bed, wracked with pain and thoroughly sobbing now.

And then.

All of a sudden the pain lessened, and he could take in a sharp breath, panting on the bed. There was a screech, then a tiny wail as a small baby started to kick angrily as the nurses started to clean him off and swaddle him.

“One down, Cherry,” Anya said, squeezing his knee lightly. “One more, come on now, we got this.”

One more? ...One more what? He dazedly thought and he wanted to ask but all of a sudden another sharp pain erupted, and he bent around his stomach, gasping and crying.

And then, the last bit of pressure left him, leaving him breathless with relief, and a slightly smaller baby sniffling and crying softly in the doctor's arms.

“Big boy was August 3rd,” the nurse nearby said, writing it down on the birth certificate. “But baby brother was born at midnight, so, August 4th?”

Doctor Anya chuckled, gently helping Cherry clean up and checking him and his magic over in case he went into shock. “I've heard of twins being born like that. Cherry, you wanna see 'em?”

Cherry sniffled, wiping his face with the tissue she gave him and nodded quickly.

The big boy, his firstborn, was laid on his left arm. Said baby had a permanent scowl on his face until he saw Cherry, and then it was like a switch had been flipped. He blinked, then wiggled his tiny fingers at him. Cherry gave him a watery smile.

The second baby, smaller by half an inch, was weepy when he was laid in Cherry's right arm. But the moment he felt the magic he'd been encased in thrumming nearby, he quickly quietened and instead nuzzled up, drifting off to sleep.

“They're perfect!” Cherry sniffled, grinning as Red peeked over the bed, Papyrus by his side.

(Papyrus had felt...out of place albeit he let Cherry squeeze his hand tightly. Red however was thoroughly frightened now, but in awe of the little babies.)

Doctor Anya smiled, nodding. “Got some names in mind?”

Cherry gently bounced the bigger baby, who grumbled. “Pollux!” He shifted to the smaller one, who cooed at being cuddled. “And Castor!”

“Very pretty names,” she said, as the nurse added it to their certificates.

All in all, a very beautiful image of a happy skeleton and his babies.

Until they started to cry. Doctor Anya perked up. “Oh! They must be hungry.”

Cherry blinked, staring at her. “What do I feed them?”

Doctor Anya laughed, standing up from the stool. “Not to worry, we'll teach you how. Red, Papyrus, go and tell the others so that Cherry can have a little privacy, okay?”

“Yes'm!”

“OKAY!”

And with that, the skeleton family had two new additions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherry assumed, since they bought the 'pump' things, that that's how they would feed them and he's about to be in for a surprise lol.  
Fed is best, ya'll!  
Also feeding twins seems really hard so like, one baby gets a bottle, one gets the boob. It all goes in the tummy the same.
> 
> I've never given birth. Seems gross. Cherry agrees. Nothing about that was fun.
> 
> Meanwhile Red's already imagining the white picket fence, 2.5 kids, the works, ya'll. He's read the romance books. He's got *visions*. Someone let him near the Engagement magazines and the Lifetime movies and this boy has *DREAMS*.
> 
> Of course as BB said, things may change in the future, they may change their minds. But, right now, I think they're pretty busy with the ones they got ^^'
> 
> ("OF COURSE YOU'LL GO OFF TO COLLEGE AS WELL, YOUR EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT!"  
"Hmmmm and THEN there's a big white wedding?"  
"I SUPPOSE. NEVER BEEN ONE FOR WHITE.")


	65. Renaming and Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of life isn't too bad for the twins. If only their mother stopped showing them off so much!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edge/Fell gave me strife trying to keep their names right so you know what, bam, renamed, mostly bc Cherry thought their names were unimaginative XD  
He's judging us!! Lol

August, Red is twenty-four weeks pregnant

“I’m renaming you both, so you’ll just have to live with it,” Cherry nodded as he stared at the Fell brothers. The nurses and doctor had finally allowed everyone in, but as it was late, they had to be quiet, and BB and Blue took an exhausted Red home. The babies were tucked between Cherry’s crossed legs, Castor sleeping away with his little head tucked close to his brother’s, Pollux grizzling in his sleep every so often. (Such a silly baby!)

The two brothers shrugged, the younger speaking up, “OKAY, MOM!”

Cherry tapped his chin, pointing at him. “Damon.” Then he pointed at the older. “Draco.” He nodded. Perfect.

Draco snorted but Damon seemed very pleased in his new moniker. “I HAVE THE COOLER NAME!”

” ‘course ya do, bro,” Draco just grinned, hopping into the seat nearby, deciding to relax by tossing his feet over the armchair. Castor decided it was time to awaken, yawning and stretching out with his tiny fists as Cherry cooed over him. Damon immediately took a seat on the bed, watching the babies with wide eyes.

”MAY I HOLD HIM?? HE’S SO SMALL!”

”Sure sure, hold still.” Cherry slipped his hands under the squirmy baby, adjusting Damon’s hold with his long arms and tucking the small blanket around him. “There, now, be careful, don’t drop him.”

”OKAY!” He chirped, staring down at the small baby. Said baby blinked up at him, tiny hands tapping at his chest covered in a dark green sweater. Castor cooed at him, smacking his teeth together lightly. “NYEH! HE’S SO SMALL. WHEN WILL HE GET VERY TALL???”

Cherry giggled, shrugging as the doctor came in with her clipboard. “Not for quite some time. How we feelin’, Mama?” She took the stool nearby, wheeling over as Cherry adjusted Pollux in his lap, said baby scrunching up his face at the movement. 

”I’m okay, tired, I guess.” Cherry shrugged, slipping his finger into Pollux’s grip, letting the baby soothe back to sleep. Castor peeked out from Damon’s arms, making a noise when Anya looked over at him with a smile.

”Understandable, certainly so. How often are they feeding?”

”Mmm, like…every…hour?” Cherry guessed, looking over at the clock with a grimace. It was already heading into sunrise time, when he was sure it had only been 1 a moment ago. “Oh, yeah, every hour.”

”Good, good,” she said, writing on her clipboard before setting it to the side, clasping her hands together. “They seem good and happy, but we’d like you to stick around for another day to ensure all is well. Then I’ll see you specifically in three weeks, unless something happens, and just give us a call, okay?” Cherry nodded quickly as Castor started to whine and squirm, causing Damon to quickly hand him back over. Anya smiled. “Alright, we’ll monitor you and if all goes well, we’ll let you out tomorrow morning, okay?” She patted his knee under the blanket, standing up and letting the little family alone again.

Everything seemed to be fine, eventually everyone showed back up to see the babies and see about Cherry, and to let the two brothers sleep as well (even if they said they were fine, they looked tired). Elliot arrived as well, happily letting Red tug him along to the bed. Cherry had Pollux tucked up to his chest, letting him feed, looking a bit nervous as he adjusted the baby in his arm. “O-Oh, hi, Elliot…”

“Hey, Cherry,” Elliot nodded, sitting down where Red had pulled him along. “How are you doing?”

”Okay. They’re big!” he squeaked, as if shocked. Pollux made a gurgling noise, his tiny hand curling against Cherry as if trying to get his attention. It worked, Cherry cooing down at the baby who stared up at him with wide eyes. Castor was with BB, who nudged Elliot. 

”WANT TO HOLD THIS ONE? HE’S AT LEAST A BIT MORE EVEN-TEMPERED THAN HIS BROTHER.”

Cinnamon snorted from the other side of the bed in a chair. “Man, wonder where they get that from.” He grinned at the look BB shot him even as Elliot took the small baby slowly. Said baby blinked up at him a few times, which was…odd to see? They didn’t quite have the little white pips like the shorter skeletons did-was it preferential? Something learned? He wanted to know…-but he could see the flicker of the socket.

Elliot smiled at the baby, letting him hold his finger, finding the sensation of the tiny hand…odd. “What’s their names?”

”That’s Castor!” Cherry nodded at Elliot’s arms. “And this is Pollux!” Cherry wiggled a tiny foot, making the baby grizzle louder, his tiny feet kicking the air now.

The names oddly fit the two, in a manner. Castor seemed to be confused on how to deal with Elliot, his face wobbling a little and Elliot rocked him softly to try and abate the incoming tears. “Hey hey hey…” he mumbled. BB snorted, settling on the side of the bed near Cherry.

”HE’S A REAL MAMA’S BOY THAT ONE, VERY EMOTIONAL.”

Elliot chuckled, shifting Castor up a little so he could see Cherry. “He’s a baby, BB. They’re not exactly in control of their emotions.” BB shrugged, focusing back on Pollux who now took to waving a tiny fist in the air now that he was down, Cherry sitting the baby up so he could hold him over his hand a bit, the baby’s little head bobbing as he looked around curiously, squawking. “He’s certainly a talker, isn’t he?”

Cherry cooed, rubbing the baby’s back gently. “He’s very loud and in charge! So cute, so cute,” he chirped, kissing the baby’s cheek and making him squall louder. Castor started to squeak in response, tiny hands reaching up and patting at Elliot’s cheeks curiously, as if trying to see if he was the source of the noise.

After a while the nurses shooed them out so that they could help Cherry go and take a bath while taking vitals for the babies. After being let back in, Cherry now had on a new hospital gown and looked less sweaty and tired, but both babies were very not happy at whatever the nurses had done to them.

If Elliot was right, all they had done was either a heel prick-although, they didn’t have blood, did they?-or they cleaned them up as well and the babies just didn’t appreciate their efforts. Said babies were back in Cherry’s lap, Pollux squalling angrily and Castor sniffling and hiccuping as Cherry cooed over them, letting them hold his hands.

The teenagers couldn’t come to see him, not because they weren’t allowed, but more that their respective guardians just didn’t have time to bring them by the hospital that day. Elliot helped set up a video call for them on a small laptop, setting it on the sliding tray as Red and Cherry sat in the bed together, each holding a baby. Pollux seemed to like Red, although he still had a little scowl on his face, while Castor sucked on his fist, watching Elliot curiously.

Fuku and Demeria cooed loudly as MK piped up, “Dude!! I wanna hold ‘em!!! And!!! Show ‘em how to rock!!!”

”MK, they can’t even walk,” Fuku pointed out as Kip gave a thumbs up to the both of them.

Demeria who was busy playing with a finger skateboard spoke up, “Hey so like what’s their names??”

Cherry adjusted Castor. “This is Castor, and he’s Pollux,” he pointed at said baby in Red’s arms, and Pollux, knowing they were talking about him, sucked in a breath and started squalling loudly as the others cooed over him. Red giggled, kissing his tiny head.

”He’s a fussy baby!! But so cute!”

”Aw, but you didn’t have yours,” MK pouted. Red shook his head.

”The doctor says it’s still too early!” He shifted Pollux up and Pollux waved a fist at the computer angrily. “But soon! I bet.”

Fuku nodded. “We should meet up at the park later, so we can play with the babies!”

”And skateboard!” MK spun in place, laughing maniacally as Kip nodded.

Demeria snickered. “It’s Kip’s b-day coming up too, so we gotta have a party!”

Everyone looked down at the square where Kip was, who pointed at himself with a tip of his head. “Yeah, you!!! Dork! Did you forget???” Demeria laughed as Kip shrugged.

”…I forgot what month it was,” he mumbled.

Red gasped. “Oh we’ll have to get you a gift then!”

Cherry leaned in with wide eyes. “What’s a birthday?” he whispered and Red whispered back to him quickly with a giggle, Cherry nodding in understanding after a little bit.

Both babies to fuss after a bit, and Elliot suggested having another conversation later, after the babies were settled. They said goodbye and Cherry and Red snuggled the babies who were just wanting to be cuddled a bit more it seemed.

Night came, and Cherry assured them he would be fine on his own that night. He wasn’t like Red, who attached on to others tightly and needed comforting at times. He wanted to…see how well he did alone, as it were. 

The nurses, of course, assured them that they would make regular checks on the small family and should something happen, they would call BB first.

During the night, Cherry held Castor close to him as the baby fed, little eye sockets flickering as he looked up at him. Cherry traced his little cheek with his thumb, a smile quirking on his face. 

”You look nothing like him, you know?” he mumbled, adjusting the blanket around them as the baby happily huffed, tiny hand flexing as Pollux slept away in the hospital crib. “I’m happy. You look more like Damon. I bet he likes that.”

He could tell small differences in the babies. How Castor’s little cheeks puffed up farther than Pollux’s. How Pollux had thinner fingers than Castor. Castor smiled more than his brother, and Cherry thought it looked just like his.

He wondered, idly, what they would look like as they grew older. Would Pollux be more like Damon? Perhaps more jagged and huffy? Would Castor be taller or shorter, or would they be the same height? Or, perhaps, would he inherit Cherry and Red’s short stature, and the long skull would slowly shorten?

Whatever the future held, he was prepared for it…so he thought.

For now, the future was so very long away, tonight they were small and in need of him, and it was near time for them to sleep. He reached up to the light switch, tugging on the cord to lower the lights. Pollux, he found, disliked the night greatly, while Castor seemed to recognize the darkness as sleeping time.

He kept a dim light on so Pollux wouldn’t wake up afraid, and he dozed with Castor close to him, happy to go home the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherry is greatly more independent than Red, but that sadly means he doesn't quite know when to ask for help. Whereas Red jumps for help or latches on, Cherry wants to weather the storm and do his hardest to get through it. Not bad to do, but he's embarking on a journey he has no map of, so he's gonna have to ask for help along the way.
> 
> (Plus, everyone needs like, some time to themselves. Babies take a lot of it!!)
> 
> Also Cherry definitely sees Damon as an older son. Maybe not Draco as much, since they're technically duplicates, but he finds him to be a 'nice boy' too.
> 
> Wonder how their first few days with babies in the house are gonna go haha.


	66. Kip's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins-both sets-go home, and it's Kip's birthday! Time to show off the newborns!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kip is finally majority both for Monsters (which is around 16) and for jelly monsters (which in reality is 10 human years, or when they start to turn a different shade of color in their jelly, which signifies their ability to start blending into the environment and no longer depending on family to assist them)
> 
> What wonderful friends he has!

August, Red is twenty-four weeks pregnant

Coming home was...an adventure. Neither baby agreed to the car seats, and it tore up Cherry’s soul hearing them fuss and cry, but they managed to fit him between them and they seemed happy with that.

Sort of.

Pollux grizzled angrily and kept kicking the seat, while Castor sniffled and hiccuped, holding Cherry’s hand in his tiny ones. They had matching striped onesies with various farm animals on them. Cherry cooed at them while Red sat on the side with Pollux, tickling his cheek.

Still, both babies hated the car seats.

Until they left.

Then they fell asleep.

Cherry chuckled, shaking his head. “Guess they just wanna complain.”

Stretch, from the driver’s seat, snickered. “They don’t understand, heh. Maybe they’ll like it when they get older.”

“Eh, maybe,” Cherry smiled at Castor who kept a very tight grip on him even in sleep. How adorable~!

At home it was a juggle to get everyone in, mostly since Cherry was still sore and walking was a legit chore now. It was a bit of a whirlwind but he ended up on the couch laid out with a nice, warm heating pad over his pelvis and the babies in little bitty bouncy chairs they had gotten ahead of time. Pollux was very unamused, but Castor was sound asleep, chewing on a pacifier Blue had slipped him passing by. Cherry chuckled, leaning to grab a tiny foot and wiggle it. “What’s the matter, baaaaby?”

Pollux blinked, then crossed his eye pips, sticking his tongue out. Oh, well, okay then. He snickered, letting go of the tiny foot with a sigh as Red happily climbed into his glider, stretched out with a blanket around him. “They’re so silly!”

“They are!” he agreed, sighing as he laid back onto the couch. “I think...a nap is a good idea.”

“Mm-hmm,” Red mumbled, already dozing off now that he was comfy. Cherry felt a little guilty for letting the others deal with getting the small bits of things out of the car, but he was too exhausted to quite care at this moment.

Maybe later.

~~

The park was especially beautiful today, a nice slightly windy day with the sun shining down upon them all. Kip’s family had set up on a little picnic table, covered in a large sky blue cake and several presents and balloons. There were others in the park not part of the birthday party but were happy to wave or wish him well.

The skeletons set up a few things, having bought Kip some gifts from the two...twins? They certainly acted like it (including Draco, did that make them triplets?). They set the two babies up in tiny bouncy seats, letting them doze as Red pulled Cherry along to meet the group (again).

MK was busy bouncing on his tail, showing off to a group of little monsters, while Kip waved at the two skeletons as they approached. “Sup.”

“H-Hi!” Cherry smiled a little nervously, his eye pips trailing back to his babies near the picnic table being watched by a very intense Papyrus. Red squeaked, hugging onto Kip with a squeeze.

“Birthday! Now you’re a lot older!” he laughed as Kip patted his head, nodding silently. He pointed over at the table as Fuku, accompanied by Demeria, showed up as well. MK gasped, springing off his tail.

“DUDE, no WAY they get to see the babies first!” he took off at a spring and a cackle, and Kip shrugged again as Cherry laughed.

“Well, c’mon, I can’t stray from ‘em too long.”

“Castor gets sad,” Red agreed as they trudged across the small green lawn towards the little group. Pollux was greatly unamused with the two cooing girls, while Castor continued to snooze on, his little fist in his mouth as he huffed away. Cherry stole Papyrus’ seat as Kip settled down close to them, tilting his head as he looked at the babies.

“Small,” he muttered, rubbing his chin idly as Cherry snorted.

“No way, they’re huge!” he fussed as Fuku wiggled her fingers in front of Pollux, who looked very close to chomping on them.

“They’re adorable, Cherry! Oh man, we’ll have to like, play with them and dress them up! What do babies wear?” She looked over at Demeria who shrugged.

“Baby clothes?”

“Onesies!” Red piped up, nabbing a small cup of juice to chug. “We got a looooot of them!” Cherry nodded in agreement as Pollux started to kick his feet, making the chair bounce a little and the other teens cooed over him. It did not help his feelings one bit.

Fuku perked up as the adults were setting everything up to be served. “Hey does this mean Kip and them have the same birthday?!”

Cherry shook his head as he bent down to lift up Pollux, who was gearing up for an angry, hungry cry. “No um, that was yesterday? Or, day before...my days are mixed up…”

Kip, however, seemed deep in thought for a moment before nodding slowly. “Birth month sharers. Whoa.”

“Whoa,” Fuku and Demeria chirped as Pollux was happy to feed, clutching onto Cherry and glaring around at the ‘interlopers’. Cherry leaned on Red, curling his legs up onto the bench to get in a comfy position as Red nibbled on a frosted cookie and the others turned their attention to the dozing Castor.

Which, of course, was interrupted by Kip’s mom setting up the cake and for everyone to sing happy birthday to him.

Kip’s mom wasn’t much taller than him, unlike him she had no dyed hair but rather it was translucent white, sparkling in the sun as she cooed over her growing-out-of-stripes boy. Kip merely sighed as she messed with his hair, before doling out cake pieces to everyone. Of course, Kip got the one with his name on, and he prodded at it with a fork as everyone dug in.

Castor stirred awake, not thrilled with his brother missing and his mommy not holding him. He fussed a little until Fuku-with permission of course-hefted the sniffling baby up into her arms. “Oooh,” she cooed at him as he stared at her in confusion. “Holding a baby’s kinda weird.”

“They are rather wiggly,” Cherry mumbled, making a kissy face as Pollux who grunted up at him, squirming now that he was done. He settled up onto Cherry’s shoulder, huffing and squeezing his tiny hands as he stared at Red next to him. Red smiled at the baby as Fuku shifted, handing Castor off to Kip.

Kip stared down at Castor. Castor stared at him. Kip looked up. “He’s heavy.”

“That’s what I said!” Cherry piped up as Castor squeaked at Kip curiously, blinking rapidly as he waved a tiny hand. Kip nodded in response to whatever he interpreted the wave to be and Caster waved faster, huffing and kicking his tiny feet. Kip made a grunting noise, and Castor clicked his tiny tongue in response, a little smile on his face. “He likes you, Kip!”

“We share the same energies,” Kip replied mysteriously, before hefting the baby up a little closer to him. “I like this one.”

“You can’t keep him,” Fuku rolled her eyes, grabbing her fork and stabbing at the cake. “He’s Cherry’s baby!”

“I can hold him though.”

“I guess.”

“We got you a gift,” Cherry changed the subject, hefting Pollux over to Red, said baby huffing but okay with being handed off to his mother’s ‘twin’. “We didn’t really know what gifts are good…”

“Considering we haven’t had a party before!” Red piped up as Cherry pushed a box to Kip. He stared at it, how the comics from Sunday’s paper was taped over the box in weird layers and a giant silk ribbon was tied on top. He looked at them both.

“I love it.”

“Kip, you gotta open it!” Fuku laughed, her and Demeria giggling as MK cheered him on. With gentleness, he pulled the comics loose, uncovering a skateboard with a black streak over the green surface. “Whoooa!”

“I love it,” he repeated, settling the board on his lap to Castor’s confusion, a tiny foot kicking at it. “You can ride it,” Kip told him, and Castor blinked, shoving a hand in his mouth. Cherry made a noise.

“Not yet! He’s too little!”

“Someday,” Kip conceded, and the others started in with their gifts of band shirts and a popcorn machine from MK along with a sketchbook.

It was adorable how much Castor had latched onto Kip, so long as Cherry hovered within eye pip sight. He seemed to be enthralled in Kip’s hair, reaching up and trying to grab at the jelly strands whenever Kip moved him to his shoulder.

The park was lively with their merriment, a wonderful birthday indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a looooong time back I half asleep imagined Kip and Cherry getting close and even dating before I woke up and it fled to the dark corners of my brain where I'm sure other lost ideas are floating around.
> 
> Except this chapter kind of brought it back with Kip bonding with Castor lmao
> 
> However, who knows what'll happen! Right now they're all just very close buds and Kip has a new skateboard! Whoop! \o/
> 
> Later the jelly family will do something personal but this is a party for Kip's friends UwU
> 
> I should make a write-up about Jelly Monsters...hmm


End file.
